Another loss to An Se-young, but China's unexpected reaction: "Wang Zhi is not at fault, she cannot be criticized"... "No matter what, An Se-young wins." She advances to the world championship final.

*This content was translated by AI.

'Badminton Empress' An Se-young (Samsung Life) has shattered China's last shred of pride. Yet, an unexpected reaction emerged in China. Rather than criticizing Wang Zhi (China), who once again fell to her knees before An Se-young, the public offered support instead.

World No. 1 An Se-young defeated world No. 3 Wang Zhi with a score of 2-0 (24-22, 21-16) in the women's singles semifinal of the 2026 BWF World Championships held in New Delhi, India, on the 22nd (Korean time).

This world championship marks An Se-young's return to competition. Last month, she withdrew from the round of 16 at the 2026 BWF Japan Open due to an injury to the outer side of her left foot. She then skipped the China Open and focused entirely on rehabilitation and recovery.

Despite a competitive gap of about one month, An Se-young has shown no signs of weakness since her return. After advancing through the round of 64 and round of 32 at this world championship, she defeated Denmark's Mia Blixtfelt in the round of 16 and China's Han Wei in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinal, she even turned the tables on Wang Zhi, the flagship player of Chinese women's singles. In their head-to-head record, An Se-young now leads with 21 wins to 6 losses, widening the gap further.

However, an unexpected reaction emerged in China as spectators watched Wang Zhi's defeat. Rather than scolding their national ace, they applauded Wang Zhi. The sentiment was that she had given her all against the 'absolutely invincible' An Se-young.

Chinese sports commentator Yang Hua stated on Sina Sports: "Why has Chinese women's singles gone 15 years without a world championship title?" He added, "China lacks aggressive players among its strong athletes. You cannot win against An Se-young in rallies."

The last time a Chinese player reached the pinnacle of the world championships was in 2011. Despite this tournament offering a chance to reclaim the gold medal after 15 years, they once again failed to overcome the massive wall that is An Se-young.

Although Wang Zhi, China's last hope, bowed her head, Yang Hua instead defended her. He said, "Wang Zhi did her best. She burned everything she had and displayed the highest level of performance she could." He explained, "But she lost 0-2 to Korea's 'Bae Deu-min-teon (여왕)' An Se-young."

He continued, "In fact, whenever Wang Zhi and An Se-young face each other, the match dynamics are generally similar. They fight fiercely, exhausting their stamina completely, but in the end, Wang Zhi loses."

However, Yang Hua identified the cause of defeat not in Wang Zhi's individual performance but in China's women's singles playing style. He stated, "Neither Tian Weifei nor Wang Zhi are aggressive players." He analyzed, "They engage in long rallies, exchanging drop shots and clears, relying on fundamentals to wear down An Se-young's stamina, but they always fall short at the final moment."

He further emphasized, "There is no hope in continuing long rallies against an opponent like An Se-young, who has solid defense, abundant stamina, and extraordinary mental strength. They must break through with speed and surprise attacks."

Acknowledging reality, he added, "However, there is currently no top-tier player in Chinese women's singles who possesses such abilities."

Yang Hua once again applauded Wang Zhi. He stressed, "Wang Zhi has done nothing wrong. She should not be criticized."

He continued, "Wang Zhi played as if her life depended on it. Her face clearly showed pain, and she suffered cramps in her thighs multiple times." He evaluated, "Because she ran with all her might, An Se-young did not have an easy match either."

At the same time, Yang Hua gave high marks to An Se-young's ability to manage key moments. He said, "An Se-young also prefers plays that wear down opponents' stamina and is not a type who constantly launches attacks." However, he noted, "She has the ability to suddenly switch to aggressive play at crucial moments and score consecutive points."

He further predicted, "No matter how well Wang Zhi performs, she may get infinitely close to An Se-young, but with her current playing style, it will be difficult to surpass her."

He added, "Ultimately, Chinese women's singles may have to wait for a 'genius star' to suddenly appear from the sky."

Meanwhile, having once again overcome Wang Zhi, An Se-young will face world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) in the final on the 23rd to compete for the championship.

Earlier, several Chinese media outlets had identified both An Se-young and Yamaguchi as strong favorites to win the women's singles title at this tournament. As expected, the two players ended up facing each other on the final stage.

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*This content was translated by AI.