“I’ll do anything for the team” — An Se-young turns cheer captain; the untold story behind a 5-0 rout
“I’ll do anything for the team” — An Se-young turns cheer captain; the untold story behind a 5-0 rout
At Forum Horsens in Horsens, Denmark, the 31st World Women’s Team Badminton Championships — the Uber Cup — saw South Korea’s women’s team reassert itself as a global power. In the final match of Group D they met a strong Thai side but produced a much more one-sided result than expected, rolling to a 5-0 victory. Leading the charge was world No. 1 An Se-young.
An Se-young kicked off the tie as Korea’s No. 1 singles and dismantled Thailand’s marquee player Ratchanok Intanon in straight sets, 2-0, in 41 minutes. She appeared briefly unsettled after surrendering an early lead in the first set, but after the interval she tightened up, turned the match around and showed exactly why she’s at the top of the sport.
World No. 1’s authority, proven in 13 straight wins
World No. 1’s authority, proven in 13 straight wins
Before this match An held a lopsided 12-1 advantage over Intanon. After an initial loss when she was 17, An has not been beaten by the Thai since, and she closed out their 15th meeting with another dominant performance. After falling behind 1-5 early in the first set, she leaned on her signature net defense and pinpoint hairpin shots to storm back to an 11-10 lead in a matter of moments.
In the second set An raced to a 5-0 lead and effectively drained Intanon’s momentum. Intanon, once a world No. 1 and a legend of the sport, looked subdued against the wall that An presented. More than a single point, An’s victory served as the spark that convinced the Korean squad they could go all the way.
Singles and doubles in perfect balance
Singles and doubles in perfect balance
Korea’s strength is its depth. Even when the draw handed them lower-ranked opponents, the team got big contributions from other players. Kim Ga-eun and Sim Yu-jin stepped up on the day. World No. 17 Kim rallied to beat world No. 8 Pornpawee Chochuwong 2-1, showing her grit late, while world No. 19 Sim dispatched world No. 13 Supanida Katethong 2-0, reinforcing Korea’s strong pool of talent.
Korea also swept both women’s doubles matches — a traditional stronghold — to complete a perfect 5-0. After earlier 5-0 wins over Spain and Bulgaria, Korea finished the group stage a flawless 15-0 and secured first place in Group D.
Leadership as bright as her game
Leadership as bright as her game
One of the most memorable things about An at this tournament came after her match. She didn’t leave the arena; instead she stayed and loudly cheered on her teammates. An told reporters, “I’ll gladly act as the team’s cheer captain if it helps,” and added, “I want to repay my teammates and the federation for believing in me.” That team-first mentality from the ace helped bind the squad together and lifted the group’s spirits.
Korea now advances to the quarterfinals, where it will meet one of Taiwan, Denmark or Malaysia. With long-time rival China positioned on the other side of the draw, Korea has a favorable path. If An Se-young maintains her form and the squad’s unity holds, Korea could very well be on track to reclaim the world team crown.
#AnSeYoung #Badminton #UberCup #WorldWomenTeamChampionships #Intanon #KimGaeun #SimYujin
