Wednesday, October 16, 2024
TEXT BY DIANNE PIERRE | BUZZSPORTSPHOTO/MARTIN KENT
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“I am a full 10 out of 10 happy to be back on court,” exclaimed An Se Young after making a welcome return to competition at VICTOR Denmark Open 2024, her first event since winning Olympic gold in Paris in the summer.
The Korean had taken a break from badminton after her victorious moment defeating He Bing Jiao in the final in the French capital two months ago.
“I was nervous but I’m happy to be back after winning the Olympics,” added the 22-year-old, all smiles after the 21-16 21-8 result against Pornpicha Choeikeewong.
“I was trying to adjust to the conditions in the first game, read the drift and get that on-court feeling back. I loved stepping out onto the badminton court, it’s my happy place. I had a lot of time off after Paris. I needed it to recover from my injury, which isn’t 100 per cent yet, but I’m getting there.”
An is delighted to be competing in Odense after skipping the tournament in 2023.
“Denmark is lovely and clean. I’m glad I could return and play in front of the fans. It’s also great to be back on tour with my teammates. I missed it but I got to spend time with family and friends and do the things I enjoy like eating Korean BBQ.”
An will take on the winner of the Ratchanok Intanon-Yvonne Li match in the second round.
“I had a six-month break after an injury to my meniscus. I’ve played two tournaments since and it still feels tight but my movement is okay. I want to take risks with my shots but I also must make sure I don’t get injured again.” – Benyapa Aimsaard
“I sign a lot of autographs and Wang Chang has to run away from female fans chasing him, haha!” – Liang Wei Keng on how much life has changed after the Olympic silver
“I was so excited to make my debut at a home event. I’ve been coming to Odense for years to watch this tournament and it’s unbelievable to see my heroes like Hendra Setiawan walking around. I’d love to meet him.” – Rasmus Espersen on how special the Denmark Open is to him
“I’m always learning new things from opponents. Badminton is a learning process and the more I play the top players, the better I become. The aim is to be world No.1.” – World champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn on his quest to be the best
“I was the one who called Robin as I was without a partner and I didn’t know what his plans were until I saw his Instagram post after the Olympics. So I hit him up and said ‘I’m up for it if you are’.” – Alexandra BØje on how her partnership with Dutch shuttler Robin Tabeling got started
Boje (right) and Tabeling are through to the second round.