World No. 1 An Se-young advanced to the Asian Championships final, one victory away from claiming the lone major title still missing from her resume. This tournament has special significance because it’s the only top-level crown she has yet to win.
On the 11th at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center in China, An defeated Sim Yu-jin 2-0 in the women’s singles semifinal.
It was a masterclass in match control from An. She closed out the contest 21-14, 21-9, dominating the momentum throughout. The first game stayed tight through 15-14, but An then ripped off six straight points to seize control.
The second game unraveled early for Sim. An opened with a 10-point run that effectively crushed any comeback hopes, maintained a steady margin, and wrapped up the match in just 36 minutes.
With this win, An gets another shot at the title after finishing runner-up in 2023. She already owns Olympic, World Championship and Asian Games golds; the Asian Championships remain the missing piece. A win here would complete what amounts to a Grand Slam of the sport’s major international events.
An has had a string of near-misses at this event. She took bronze in 2022, silver in 2023, exited in the quarterfinals in 2024, and missed last year’s tournament due to injury. Given that history, this year’s run is a meaningful comeback.
Her opponent in the final will be the winner of the Wang Ziyi–Akane Yamaguchi match. Both are elite competitors, but form and head-to-head records tip the scales toward An. In particular, Yamaguchi has often struggled to break through An’s tight defensive setup, which further strengthens An’s chances.
An leads Wang 18-5 in their head-to-head overall. Although she dropped their most recent meeting, the overall record still shows a clear advantage. She has also maintained the upper hand in recent encounters with Yamaguchi.
Meanwhile, the mixed doubles bracket produced another upset: the pairing of Kim Jae-hyun and Jang Ha-jung reached the final. Entering the draw ranked 147th, the duo knocked off higher-ranked opponents in consecutive rounds.
The pair dominated Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi 2-0 in the semifinals and had previously beaten strong teams from Indonesia and Malaysia to build momentum.
Notably, this was the first time the two teamed up on a World Tour–level stage. Despite limited experience together, they displayed composed, consistent play and have emerged as a pairing to watch.
The tournament has served as a barometer for South Korea’s overall badminton strength. With An and the mixed doubles team both reaching finals, Korea is well positioned to challenge for multiple gold medals. Having finalists in both singles and doubles highlights the depth of the squad.
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