'21-7→21-8': Even the world No. 14 is helpless against An Se-young! South Korea's national team defeats Taiwan to reach Uber Cup semifinals

*This content was translated by AI.

Even a formidable opponent ranked world No. 14 was helpless before An Se-young (24, Samsung Life). Leading the South Korean women's Bae Deu-min-teon (CEO) team as the vanguard, the squad advanced to the semifinals of the world women's team championship (Uber Cup).

The South Korean women's Bae Deu-min-teon (CEO) team defeated Taiwan 3-1 in the quarterfinals held on the 1st (Korean time) in Horsens, Denmark.

This marks South Korea's 10th consecutive appearance in the semifinals, dating back to the 2008 Jakarta tournament in Indonesia. The world team championship, held every two years, began in 1956 and is now in its 31st edition. As the most prestigious international badminton tournament, South Korea has claimed the title twice, in 2010 and 2022.

The competition consists of five matches in total: three singles and two doubles, played under a best-of-five format. An Se-young started from the group stage as the first player for the South Korean national team and fully met the high expectations to set the tone early.

The same held true on this day. In the first singles match, An Se-young decisively defeated Taiwan's world No. 14, Tai Tzu-ying, with a 2-0 scoreline (21-7, 21-8).

Riding on An Se-young's momentum, the South Korean national team also secured the first doubles match. The pair of Lee So-hee (Incheon International Airport) and Lee Yeon-woo defeated the Taiwanese duo of Tai Tzu-ying and Hsu Wen-chi with a 2-1 comeback victory (15-21, 21-8, 21-17).

However, the team suffered a setback in the second singles match, which was the third match of the team competition. Kim Ga-eun (Samsung Life) was shut out by Lin Xiang-di with a 0-2 score (15-21, 17-21).

Nevertheless, in the second doubles match, the fourth match overall, the pair of Jeong Na-eun (Hwasun County Office) and Kim Hye-jeong (Samsung Life) defeated the Chinese Taipei duo of Hsu Ya-ching and Hsu Yin-hui 2-0 (21-17, 21-13), allowing South Korea to advance to the semifinals.

Their opponent will be Indonesia. This marks the second consecutive time the two teams have met in the semifinals, following their 2024 encounter, where South Korea lost 2-3 and narrowly missed advancing to the final.

If South Korea defeats Indonesia, they will face the winner of the China-Japan match in the final. China is the tournament's most decorated nation with 16 titles and the defending champion, while Japan is a powerhouse with six titles, the second-most in the event's history.

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*This content was translated by AI.