An Se Young, Christie storm into India Open finals

World number one An Se Young continued her dominant run on the BWF circuit , while Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie displayed trademark composure to advance to the women’s and men’s singles finals respectively at the USD 950,000 India Open Super 750 here on Saturday.

Top seed and defending champion An Se Young was in complete control as she brushed aside former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 21-11, 21-7 in the women’s singles semifinal at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium . Fresh from her Malaysia Open Super 1000 triumph last week, the South Korean has now won 11 titles this season .

An will face China’s world number two Wang Zhiyi in the final. Wang edged out compatriot and Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei 21-15, 23-21 in a hard-fought semifinal.

In the men’s singles , third seed Jonatan Christie recovered from early deficits to outlast Singapore’s former world champion Loh Kean Yew 21-18, 22-20 in a 46-minute contest . The Indonesian, now competing as an independent player , slowed the pace at crucial moments to extend his head-to-head record over Loh to 9-0 .

Christie will meet Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi in the final. Lin survived a stern test from Canada’s Viktor Lai , winning 21-9, 6-21, 22-20 in a three-game semifinal .

Play was briefly interrupted during the women’s doubles semifinal between top-seeded Chinese pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning and Korea’s Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee after material from a bird’s nest fell on the court. Officials halted the match for cleaning before resumption, with Liu and Tan eventually winning 21-12, 17-21, 21-14 .

The incident added to organisational concerns at the venue. The India Open , being held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium for the first time ahead of the World Championships in August , has faced complaints over air quality , extreme cold , hygiene issues and stray animals . Earlier, a men’s singles match involving HS Prannoy was also halted due to bird droppings .