*This content was translated by AI.
'Badminton Empress' An Se-young (Samsung Life) has once again come close to a 'perfect title.'
After rising to the top at last month's World Championships without losing a single game, An Se-young finished every match in this week's China Masters with a 2-0 scoreline all the way to the final. In China, her overwhelming performance even earned her the description of being in 'Invincible Mode.'
On the 5th (Korean time), Sohu.com reported ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games that An Se-young has entered 'Invincible Mode,' adding that she is now one step closer to winning back-to-back women's singles titles.
Previously ranked world No. 1, An Se-young defeated Japan's Yamaguchi Akane (world No. 3) in the women's singles semifinals of the 2026 BWF World Tour China Masters Super 750 held in Shenzhen, China, with a decisive 2-0 scoreline (21-13, 21-15).
With this victory, An Se-young advanced to the final and will now compete for the title against Japan's Tomoka Miyazaki.
An Se-young's momentum has been at its peak recently. At last month's World Championships in New Delhi, India, she claimed the title with a flawless performance without dropping a single game. In the final, she also defeated Yamaguchi Akane of Japan 2-0, once again proving her status as the world's top women's singles player.
The two players met again in the China Masters semifinals, but this time An Se-young secured another victory with a smile.
As a result, An Se-young has further extended her head-to-head record against Yamaguchi. The media noted that "with this win, An Se-young improved her all-time record against Yamaguchi to 21 wins and 15 losses," adding that she also achieved a seven-game winning streak against Yamaguchi, firmly establishing her dominance once again.
What is even more remarkable is that An Se-young has only recently recovered from an injury. In July, she withdrew from the round of 16 at the 2026 BWF Japan Open in Japan due to pain on the outer side of her left foot. She then focused entirely on rehabilitation and recovery without participating in the China Open either.
Although there were concerns about her lack of match play, she returned to the court with an overwhelming performance.
Following her World Championship title, An Se-young continued her strong form at the China Masters, aiming for a three-peat. She won the women's singles title in 2024 and last year, securing back-to-back championships.
In this tournament, An Se-young finished every match from the round of 32 to the semifinals with a 2-0 scoreline, never dropping a single game against any opponent. Most matches were completed in around 40 minutes, minimizing physical exhaustion.
Sohu.com highlighted that "after about a month of recovery from injury, An Se-young made a powerful return at last month's World Championships," noting that she claimed the title with a 'flawless' performance without losing a single game.
The outlet further remarked, "Even at the China Masters, An Se-young has not given opponents any openings. From the round of 32 to the semifinals, she still hasn't lost a single game."
An Se-young's final opponent, Miyazaki, defeated China's top badminton star Wang Zhi in the semifinals. Born in 2006 and currently ranked world No. 9, she is one of Japan's most promising young female badminton players. Among Japanese players, only Yamaguchi holds a higher world ranking.
However, Miyazaki has historically struggled against Wang Zhi. Before this match, the two had faced each other four times, with Miyazaki securing just one victory — and that win came after Wang Zhi withdrew due to an injury during the match. Miyazaki's best results this season were reaching the semifinals at the Germany Open and China Open.
But this time was different. Miyazaki pulled off a surprise by defeating world-class strong player Wang Zhi on home soil in China, advancing to the final to compete for the title against 'Badminton Empress' An Se-young.
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
