"Facing An Se-young is a 'hellish battle'" — as predicted in China... Han Qianxi scores 14 points then 7, falling short; the reigning champion dominates with an overwhelming quarterfinal victory

*This content was translated by AI.

It unfolded exactly as worried predictions from local Chinese observers had foreseen. 'Badminton Empress' An Se-young (Samsung Life) defeated China's promising player Han Qianxi and advanced to the quarterfinals.

World No. 1 An Se-young secured a decisive 2-0 (21-14, 21-7) victory over World No. 33 Han Qianxi (China) in the women's singles round of 16 at the tournament held on the 3rd in Shenzhen, China.

The match lasted only 39 minutes.

After conceding 14 points in the first game, An Se-young delivered an even more dominant performance in the second game, handing Han Qianxi just seven points and closing out the contest with ease despite the home crowd's support for Han.

Even before the match began, local Chinese media anticipated that Han Qianxi would face a difficult challenge against An Se-young.

China's sina.com described the matchup between An Se-young and Han Qianxi as a "hellish battle," indicating that even for Han Qianxi, who had been on an upward trajectory at home, An Se-young was an overwhelmingly tough opponent.

In reality, the barrier posed by the world's top-ranked player proved insurmountable.

Han Qianxi is regarded as a rising star in Chinese women's badminton. Earlier in the round of 32, she had defeated Taiwan's Bai Yufu 2-0 (21-10, 21-9), showcasing strong form.

However, An Se-young was on another level entirely. Han managed to score only 14 points in the first game and just seven in the second.

With Han Qianxi's elimination, China's women's singles team is now in a state of alarm. Among all Chinese players competing in this tournament, only World No. 2 Wang Zhiyi remains standing.

Ahead of this tournament, China's key women's singles contenders — World No. 4 Chen Yufei and World No. 5 Han Yue — both withdrew. Both players had demonstrated top-tier competitiveness on the international stage and were considered strong contenders for the title alongside An Se-young, but they stepped out before the tournament began.

With promising player Han Qianxi also suffering a decisive defeat to An Se-young in the round of 16, China now must place its hopes solely on Wang Zhiyi.

In contrast, An Se-young's performance in this tournament has been nothing short of overwhelming. In the round of 32, she easily defeated World No. 17 Lin Xiangti (Taiwan) 2-0 (21-11, 21-3), allowing just three points in the second game.

She followed that with a commanding 21-14, 21-7 victory over Han Qianxi. Of the four matches she has played in this tournament, there have been only two occasions where she allowed her opponent to score double digits.

Her recent momentum is also formidable. Last month at the World Championships held in New Delhi, India, An Se-young claimed the title with a flawless performance, dropping not a single game. In the final, she defeated Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 2-0, once again proving her status as the world's top women's singles player.

The upward momentum from her World Championship victory continues unabated in China.

An Se-young now aims to achieve a third consecutive title at this China Masters. She won the women's singles event in 2024 and last year, securing back-to-back championships. A victory this year would mark three consecutive titles.

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*This content was translated by AI.