At the India Open on Sunday, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi and South Korea’s An Se Young walked away with the singles titles, each reinforcing their standing on the international circuit in very different ways.
Lin, ranked 12 in the world, claimed his maiden Super 750 title in men’s singles with a straight-games 21-10, 21-18 win over Indonesia’s third seed Jonatan Christie.
The victory marked a sharp contrast to his early exit at last week’s Malaysia Open Super 1000 and capped a week in which he steadily grew in confidence.
Coming into the tournament with a muscle strain picked up in Kuala Lumpur that had initially made walking difficult, Lin still chose to compete. The decision paid off.
Against Jonatan, the left-hander set the tone early, using pace and attack to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm.
Jonatan struggled with the drift inside the hall, missing his timing repeatedly as Lin surged to an 11-5 lead in the opening game and then pulled away completely.
The second game was more contested. Jonatan led at various stages, 6-4, 9-7 and 18-15, but Lin stayed close and took control when it mattered most, stringing together six straight points at the end to seal the match.
“I think I played pretty well today. I didn’t feel much pressure and I felt like I was playing happily,” Lin said. “I didn’t feel very good in Malaysia, but in India I felt freer on court.”
For Lin, who comes from a farming family, the title carries personal meaning and professional momentum.
“I’m very happy to win my first Super 750 title. It shows that I can stand on my own feet. My goal is to be in the top 10 in the world this year. Perseverance is the key, whether I win or lose,” he said.
Away from the court, he unwinds with competitive video games. “I like games where there are two sides attacking and defending each other, like PUBG or Counter-Strike,” he added.
If Lin’s triumph was about seizing an opening, An Se Young’s win in the women’s singles final was another reminder of her sustained authority at the top of the sport.
The world number one and defending champion defeated China’s Wang Zhiyi 21-13, 21-11 to lift her second title of the season. The final followed a familiar pattern.
An moved comfortably around the court, using control and placement to push Wang onto the defensive early. She raced to a 7-1 lead in the opening game and extended it to 15-9.
Wang narrowed the gap briefly, but An closed out the game with six consecutive points.
The second game unfolded in much the same way, with Wang struggling for consistency as An maintained a steady lead and finished the match without being seriously tested.
The win marked An’s 18th victory over Wang in 22 meetings, including all nine finals the two have contested in 2025.
“I’m really glad I won. The last two weeks have been very tiring, but I’m a winner and I’m very happy,” An said while acknowledging the crowd. “I know it was going to be a difficult match, but I tried to endure everything.”
Asked about maintaining her edge, she pointed to her approach on court. “I know every player will try their best to beat me, but I’ll also do my best not to lose. I try to focus on attacking and giving my best.”
Her coach, Hyunil Lee, said the shift in An’s game has been deliberate.
“She wants to play a more attacking game, so we train accordingly. We focus on power and weight management,” Lee said, adding that An has also been working with a mental trainer.
“She has taken up consultancy to improve the mental side of her game. It’s based on her needs.” Lee also highlighted An’s attitude to training.
“It’s not just about listening to the coach. She wants to do her best, so she tries everything the coaches suggest. That’s how she maintains her level.”
The doubles events saw China and Thailand take the honours. In women’s doubles, top seeds Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China defeated Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Matsumoto 21-11, 21-18 in a 58-minute final.
The men’s doubles title went to China’s Paris Olympics silver medallists Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, who came from behind to beat Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita 17-21, 25-23, 21-16.
Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran clinched the mixed doubles crown after edging Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje 19-21, 25-23, 21-18.