Hangzhou, Dec 21 (NationPress) South Korea's An Se-young triumphed over the defending champion Wang Zhiyi of China, securing her 11th title of the season during the BWF World Tour Finals. The match concluded with scores of 21-13, 18-21, and 21-10, placing her alongside the legendary Japanese men's singles player Kento Momota for the most titles in a single season.

"I feel incredibly happy and proud of my achievements," An remarked, despite battling a leg injury towards the end of the 96-minute match.

Wang admitted that her energy waned in the final game, resulting in errors. "However, there are many positives to take from how hard I pushed An," she stated.

In a remarkable turn of events during the men’s singles final, Christo Popov from France, the tournament's unexpected standout, overcame newly crowned world champion Shi Yuqi of China with scores of 21-19 and 21-9, as reported by Xinhua.

This 23-year-old achieved an impeccable run at the season's concluding tournament, having led his group before besting Kodai Naraoka of Japan in the semifinals. His victory marks a historic first for a French player, winning this title since the tournament began in 2018.

Additionally, the mixed doubles title was claimed by Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping, who prevailed in an all-Chinese final against Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin. The more seasoned duo dominated the final, winning the first game 21-12 and finishing the match 21-17 in the second.

"We communicated effectively during the match. Once we had a plan, we were both committed to executing it," Feng expressed.

This victory marks the fourth consecutive year that China has secured the mixed doubles event at this season-ending tournament, following the trio of victories by Olympic champions Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong.

In the women’s doubles final, South Korea’s Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee outplayed Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto with scores of 21-17 and 21-11, clinching the title for the second consecutive time.

The men’s doubles final saw South Korea’s returning champions Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae defeat local favorites Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang with scores of 21-18 and 21-14.

This season-concluding tournament, hosted in Hangzhou since 2023, showcases the top eight players in the annual World Tour standings, allowing a maximum of two entries per member association. The reigning Olympic and world champions automatically qualify.