Indonesia Open: Back from the Brink
Somewhere deep within, perhaps even she knows not where, there was belief. And it was this belief that propelled An Se Young to a 21-17 19-21 23-21 win from a near-impossible situation over familiar rival Chen Yu Fei.
· DEV SUKUMAR
At 7-17 in the third game against Chen, the cause looked all but over for the reigning champion. How could she have believed?
There was no real joy apparent on An’s face as she came away after pulling off that heist. She’s bridged a gulf so far, so wide, that she looked ready to burst in a welter of emotions. She struggled to explain what had just happened, for perhaps the overriding emotion was relief at having scraped the bottom of the barrel and made it out alive.
“I was just lucky today,” the world No.1 offered, having made her sixth final of the year. “Badminton is a game in which you are never assured of a win. Chen did really well. I was a bit confused but I managed. I tried to stay calm and not look at the points, so I was a bit surprised when I won.”