In a thrilling final at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, China's Wang Zhiyi beat the Republic of Korea's An Se-young to capture her first women's singles title at the prestigious tournament on Sunday. The victory not only marked a significant milestone for Wang, ending a 10-match losing streak against the World No. 1, but also gave her 12 career titles.

It had been seven long years since a Chinese player lifted the women's singles trophy at the All England Open, with Chen Yufei last achieving the feat in 2019. Chen reached the semifinals at this edition before falling to An, setting the stage for Wang's determined bid to return China to the top of the podium in the women's singles category.

Wang began the match with conviction, dominating the opening game 21-15. But the reigning Olympic champion An mounted a fierce comeback in the second, jumping out to an early lead. Wang responded by showcasing her resilience, reaching match point at 20-16. An valiantly saved three consecutive points to close the gap to 20-19, but Wang maintained her composure under pressure, ultimately sealing the deal 21-19.

The hard-fought victory not only delivers Wang's first title of the season, but also halts An's impressive 36-match winning streak.

"I am super excited. I feel like a dream comes true," said Wang after the victory. "Honestly, I still cannot believe I can win this match. So I am really really happy."