The 22-year-old triumphed for the first time since her exploits at the Paris Games with a ruthless 21-12, 21-8 victory over unseeded Gao in Shenzhen, in the south of the country.

It was An’s fourth victory on the BWF World Tour this year and cemented her status as the undisputed best player in women’s badminton.

“I am extremely happy to win this title. I was determined to succeed,” said An.

In the men’s final, Denmark’s third seed, Anders Antonsen, won just as clearly 21-15, 21-13 against sixth-seeded Indonesian Jonatan Christie.

The top players will now prepare for the BWF World Tour season-ending finale from December 11-15 in Hangzhou, China.

© 2024 AFP