'An Se-young leads the way': South Korea draws 'ideal bracket' at World Championships... Clash with China and Japan only possible in finals

*This content was translated by AI.

• Quarterfinals showdown against Taiwan

'World's strongest' An Se-young (Samsung Life) leading the South Korean women's Bae Deu-min-teon (CEO) team has drawn the ideal bracket in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Uber Cup (World Women's Team Championships).

According to an announcement by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on the 30th, South Korea will face Taiwan in the quarterfinals and, if they advance to the semifinals, will meet the winner of the Denmark-Indonesia match.

China, the tournament's most decorated team with 16 titles and the defending champion, and Japan, the second-most decorated with six titles, are in the opposite half of the bracket and can only meet in the finals.

South Korea advanced to the quarterfinals as the top seed in Group D of the group stage, defeating Spain, Bulgaria, and Thailand all 5-0 in a "clean sweep" performance.

South Korea will face Taiwan in the quarterfinals at 1 a.m. on the 31st (Korean time) in Horsens, Denmark. Taiwan, which advanced to the quarterfinals as the second seed in Group C after a 5-0 victory over Australia, narrowly defeated Canada 3-2 but lost to Indonesia 2-3.

South Korea previously faced Taiwan in the quarterfinals at the 2024 tournament held in Chengdu, China, winning 3-0 and advancing easily to the semifinals.

If South Korea defeats Taiwan again in this tournament and reaches the semifinals, it will mark their 10th consecutive appearance in the semifinals since the 2008 Jakarta tournament in Indonesia.

If South Korea reaches the semifinals, they will face Denmark, which advanced as the second seed in Group A of the group stage, and the winner of the Indonesia match, which topped Group C.

Denmark has the home advantage but suffered a 0-5 defeat to China in the group stage, while Indonesia advanced through Group C with three straight wins but narrowly defeated Canada and Taiwan 3-2 each.

If South Korea faces Indonesia, it will be their second consecutive semifinal clash since the 2024 tournament, where South Korea lost 2-3 and failed to reach the finals. A rematch is highly likely in this tournament.

Meanwhile, in the opposite bracket, China will face Malaysia, and Japan will face Thailand in the quarterfinals. Unless a major upset occurs, China and Japan are expected to reach the semifinals and compete for a spot in the finals.

This tournament features five matches in total: three singles and two doubles, played in that order. While remaining matches continued in the group stage even after the outcome was decided, in the knockout stage, the first team to secure three wins advances to the next round.

The South Korean women's Bae Deu-min-teon (CEO) team aims for their third overall title and second title in two tournaments since the 2022 event. In addition to An Se-young, the team includes Kim Ga-eun, Kim Hye-jeong, and Lee Yeon-woo (all Samsung Life), Shim Yu-jin, Lee So-hee, Baek Ha-na, Jung Na-eun, and Lee Seo-jin (all Incheon International Airport), and Kim Ga-ram (Jeong Kwanjang).

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*This content was translated by AI.