HANGZHOU: Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn and South Korea’s An Se-Young experienced contrasting starts to their World Tour Finals campaigns in Hangzhou on Wednesday, with the men’s world number one cruising to victory while the women’s top-ranked player was pushed hard.
Vitidsarn made an emphatic statement in his Group stage opener, overpowering Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 21-10, 21-14. The Thai star set the tone early and controlled the rallies throughout, registering his sixth career win over Christie to underline his status as the tournament favourite.
The women’s contest that followed proved far more testing for An Se-Young. The Olympic champion took the opening game against Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani but suffered a sharp dip in the second before regaining control in the decider to seal a 21-16, 8-21, 21-8 win at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center.
An, a former world champion and Paris 2024 gold medallist, is chasing her maiden World Tour Finals title as the season-ending event brings together the world’s top eight players.
