 |
| An Se-young / Photo=DB |
On April 9 in Ningbo, China, An dispatched Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Linh (No. 26) in the round of 16 at the 2026 Asian Badminton Championships, winning in straight sets, 2-0 (21-7, 21-6).
An set the tone immediately, asserting her top-ranked form in the first set. She opened a 6-1 lead and then closed the set by winning six consecutive points from 14-6.
She carried that momentum into the second set, never relinquishing the lead. After moving ahead 12-6, An rattled off nine straight points to put the match out of reach. The contest lasted just 30 minutes.
The Asian Championships attract top talent from badminton powerhouses such as South Korea, China and Japan, and the event offers the same ranking points as a BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament, making it one of the sport’s most prestigious stops.
The title carries special weight for An. Though she’s already captured the Olympics, World Championships and Asian Games, the Asian Championships remain the one major title missing from her résumé.
Her best finish at this event was runner-up in 2023, and she withdrew last year due to injury. An is determined to take the crown this year and complete the final piece of her career Grand Slam.
Notably, An’s 36-match official winning streak, which began last year, ended last month when she fell to world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi of China in the All England Open final.
Wang Zhiyi also advanced to the quarterfinals, beating Pusarla Sindhu (No. 13, India) 2-0 (21-18, 21-8) in the round of 16.
[Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young sports@stoo.com]
「Your closest, most fun news ⓒ Sports Today」
