"It was clearly 15-15, but the end was 21-16." The power of An Se-young, acknowledged even by her opponent... "The second set was even more overwhelming." Advances to World Championship quarterfinals

*This content was translated by AI.

'Badminton Empress' An Se-young (Samsung Life) continued her charge toward the world championship title. Opponents could not help but acknowledge the power of the world No. 1.

World No. 1 An Se-young defeated Mia Blichfeldt (Denmark, world No. 16) 2-0 (21-16, 21-10) in the women's singles round of 16 at the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships held on the 20th (Korean time) in New Delhi, India.

Until midway through the first game, the match was closely contested. Blichfeldt did not easily yield even in long rallies. She won points in several intense exchanges to pressure An Se-young, and the score reached 15-15.

But that was as far as it went. As the match entered its decisive phase, An Se-young's concentration shone. After 15-15, she minimized errors and quickly seized control of the flow, ultimately winning the first game 21-16.

The closely fought match suddenly opened up by a five-point margin.

Danish media also focused on An Se-young's ability in decisive moments. The overseas sports outlet Flashscore evaluated after the match: "Blichfeldt stood toe-to-toe with world No. 1 An Se-young in the first game, but it was not enough to create a major upset at the World Championships."

It continued, "Blichfeldt engaged in several long and intense rallies and pushed the world's top female badminton player for a while," acknowledging Blichfeldt's strong performance.

However, the decisive difference lay in errors and concentration. The outlet analyzed: "Blichfeldt certainly had the will and belief to win. But An Se-young made almost no mistakes." It added, "Once An Se-young began pulling away from 15-15, Blichfeldt appeared to lose her composure."

It further emphasized, "Such wavering cannot be allowed against An Se-young."

Having seized control, An Se-young delivered an even more overwhelming performance in the second game. She took early initiative and, leading 16-10, scored five consecutive points to close out the match.

Flashscore also highly praised: "An Se-young showed a much more overwhelming performance in the second game."

This World Championships marks An Se-young's return stage. On the 15th of last month, she withdrew from the round of 16 at the 2026 BWF Japan Open in Japan due to an injury to the outer side of her left foot. She did not participate in the China Open afterward and devoted herself to rehabilitation and recovery.

Although there was a gap of about one month without competitive play, it is difficult to find any flaws in her performance since returning. An Se-young advanced through the round of 64 and round of 32 at this World Championships, then defeated Blichfeldt in the round of 16 to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.

An Se-young also aims to reclaim the world championship title for the first time in three years at this tournament. She won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships, rose to the top in 2023 to claim the world's strongest position, and last year had to settle for bronze after losing to China's Chen Yufei in the semifinals.

Flashscore also noted: "The current Olympic champion is aiming for her second career World Championship title," highlighting An Se-young's challenge for the top spot.

It further reported, "For now, An Se-young has successfully advanced to the quarterfinals."

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*This content was translated by AI.