"World No. 17 managed only three points" — An Se-young's overwhelming performance earns praise from foreign media; advances to round of 16 at China Masters

*This content was translated by AI.

'Badminton Empress' An Se-young (Samsung Life) once again displayed an overwhelming performance.

World No. 1 An Se-young defeated World No. 17 Lin Xiang-ty (Taiwan) 2-0 (21-11, 21-3) in the first round of the women's singles at the 2026 BWF World Tour China Masters (Super 750), held on the 1st in Shenzhen, China.

The match lasted just 33 minutes.

Especially surprising was the second-game score. An Se-young allowed her opponent, a strong player ranked 17th in the world, to score only three points. From the start, she aggressively pressured Lin Xiang-ty and built a lead of 11-1. While she added ten more points herself, she allowed just two points from Lin Xiang-ty, closing out the match easily with a 21-3 scoreline.

She once again demonstrated overwhelming superiority over Lin Xiang-ty. An Se-young had previously faced Lin Xiang-ty at the All England Open in March, defeating her 2-0 (21-15, 21-11) in just 37 minutes. Although she secured a decisive victory then as well, this time she reduced the match duration by four more minutes and dominated her opponent with an even larger point differential.

Overseas media also focused on An Se-young's overwhelming performance. After the match, BWF reported that "An Se-young easily defeated Lin Xiang-ty."

Singapore's influential newspaper The Straits Times also stated, "South Korea's World No. 1 and world champion An Se-young continued her upward momentum," adding that she "overwhelmingly defeated Taiwan's Lin Xiang-ty, ranked 17th in the world, with scores of 21-11 and 21-3."

Given An Se-young's recent momentum, this result is not surprising. Last month at the World Championships held in New Delhi, India, she rose to the top without losing a single game. In the final, she also defeated Japan's Yamaguchi Akane, ranked 2nd in the world, 2-0, showcasing her status as the strongest player in women's singles.

Even before the afterglow of her World Championship victory had faded, An Se-young returned to international competition without any sign of wavering in her performance. From the first match at the China Masters, she defeated a strong opponent ranked 17th in just 33 minutes, continuing her upward trajectory.

This China Masters is the last international tournament An Se-young will play before the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which open on the 19th. It effectively serves as a final mock exam ahead of the Asian Games.

Her goal is also clear. An Se-young won the women's singles title at the China Masters in both 2024 and last year. If she wins this year, she will achieve three consecutive titles at the tournament.

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*This content was translated by AI.