An Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance), the world's No. 1 women's singles badminton player, wrote a miracle from the brink, leaving just one step to the top of the podium with another comeback that was distinctly her own.
An defeated Chen Yufei (China, world No. 4) 2-1 (21-17, 19-21, 23-21) in a one-hour, 18-minute battle in the semifinals of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Indonesia Open (Super 1000), held at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday.
The 31st clash between the two players, regarded as the top rivals in world badminton with their rivalry nicknamed "El Clasico," lived up to its billing as a classic.
With the win, An stands on the verge of consecutive titles, a so-called "back-to-back" victory, following her championship at last week's Singapore Open (Super 750). At the same time, An, who won this tournament in 2021 and 2025, is also chasing her first Indonesia Open title defense.
This stage holds special meaning for An. After winning her first title at age 19 in 2021, she climbed step by step with a quarterfinal finish in 2022, a semifinal run in 2023, and a runner-up finish in 2024, before lifting the trophy again last year by beating Wang Zhiyi (China) in the final, four years after her first.
Confidence Beyond the "Nemesis"
The opponent was no easy task. Chen Yufei is the gold medalist from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a longtime nemesis whom An, as recently as last year, admitted she had "feared."
But the tide turned. Since 2025, An has held the upper hand over Chen with seven wins and two losses across nine matches, and Tuesday's comeback win stretched her career head-to-head record to 17-14, a three-match lead.
The contest was tight from the first game. An struggled to break through Chen's steady stroke play, and it was Chen who first reached the interval point (11 points).
But An narrowed the gap with solid defense, then seized momentum at 16-16 with a point that just clipped the end line. She then scored consecutive points with two sharp diagonal attacks to pull away 19-16, and finished off the first game with a powerful smash to reach 21 points.
A Roller Coaster That Overturned a 7-17 Cliff
The second game was the opposite. An appeared set to wrap it up easily after taking the interval point at 11-4, but Chen's fierce resistance allowed her to close to 16-15. After a seesaw battle, An conceded four straight points from 18-16 to surrender the lead, eventually giving up the second game 19-21.
The real crisis came in the third game. An, whose stamina dropped sharply, failed to hold a 4-2 lead and was quickly dragged to 7-17, a 10-point deficit. It was a desperate situation that looked impossible to overturn by any measure.
But An was An. Whenever the match did not go her way, she squinted, gritted her teeth, and held on, and it was Chen's stamina that gave out first.
Gradually closing the gap, An was pushed to 16-20, facing match point. From there, the real drama began. She drew errors from her opponent and chased point by point, and at 18-20 she returned Chen's decisive push attack with animal-like reflexes, instead driving her opponent to the edge.
After forcing deuce at 20-20, An completed an unbelievable comeback drama to win 23-21. Chen, whose intended winning shot was even blocked by An's defense, could only manage a hollow smile.
The broadcast team was also stunned. Ben Beckman, a former England national team player serving as the BWF international feed's English commentator, said when An closed to 14-18, "If she turns this around, we should check whether she's even human," and during the 20-20 deuce phase, marveled, "Is this why she's world No. 1?"
Yamaguchi Again in the Final
An's opponent in Wednesday's final is Japan's ace Yamaguchi Akane (world No. 3). Yamaguchi reached the final early, crushing Sim Yu-jin (Incheon International Airport) 2-0 (21-14, 21-7) in just 29 minutes in the semifinals.
The matchup between the two players is also a rematch just one week later. In last week's Singapore Open final, An trailed 16-19 in the third game before scoring five straight points to seal a dramatic come-from-behind victory.
Attention turns to whether the "empress," who has grown accustomed to surviving the brink, can once again smile at the top.
