An Se-young, who dominated the world's fifth-ranked player, ended her quarterfinal match in just 40 minutes... Defeated China's Han Wei 2-0 → Will face Wang Zhiyi in the World Championship semifinals

*This content was translated by AI.

Badminton women's singles world champion An Se-young (Samsung Life) has advanced to the semifinals (top four) of the World Championship. It took just 40 minutes to defeat Han Wei (China), ranked fifth in the world, in the quarterfinals.

On the 21st (Korean time), An Se-young defeated Han Wei 2-0 (21-19, 21-12) in the women's singles quarterfinals of the 2026 BWF World Championship held in New Delhi, India, advancing to the semifinals.

With this victory, An Se-young has played four matches from the round of 64 to the quarterfinals without losing a single game, showcasing flawless performance and leaving just two steps away from the championship.

Her opponent in the final will be Wang Zhiyi (China), ranked third in the world. Their recent head-to-head record stands at an impressive 12 wins and 1 loss, making An Se-young's "arch-nemesis" who has been showing overwhelming dominance.

In today's match, An Se-young led 17-15 in the first game but allowed a comeback after conceding three consecutive points. However, she quickly regained her rhythm, secured a second lead, and took control of the match.

With momentum on her side, An Se-young scored nine consecutive points when the score was tied at 10-10 in the second game, seizing the advantage and ultimately securing victory without any setbacks to claim her spot in the semifinals.

The victory over the world's fifth-ranked player in just 40 minutes marks An Se-young's second-fastest match of this tournament.

Earlier, An Se-young defeated Indonesia's Talita Ramadani Wirya (53rd) in the round of 32 in 31 minutes. Her matches against Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova (40th) in the round of 64 and Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt in the round of 16 were completed in 41 and 43 minutes, respectively.

Previously, An Se-young withdrew from the Japan Open last month due to left foot pain and also rested during the China Open before returning to competition after a month-long break. Despite not yet being at 100% fitness, she has advanced smoothly to the semifinals with hopes of winning the title.

An Se-young aims for her second career title in this tournament, three years after her first victory in 2023. Last year, she was eliminated in the semifinals. The BWF World Championship is one of the most prestigious events in badminton, alongside the Olympics.

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*This content was translated by AI.