Ahn Se-young, 'Bleeding Grit' Crushes Yamaguchi, "Fans Were Captivated"... "You Couldn't Watch This Epic Match on TV?" No Broadcast Sparks Outrage Among Japanese Fans [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

Japanese fans expressed regret that they could not watch the match between Ahn Se-young (24, Samsung Life) and their own player on terrestrial television.

World No. 1 Ahn Se-young faced Yamaguchi Akane (world No. 3) in the first singles match of the women's team semi-finals against Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 23rd at Ichinomiya Municipal Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, defeating her with a set score of 2-1 (21-9, 18-21, 21-11).

With this victory, Ahn Se-young extended her winning streak against Yamaguchi to eight consecutive matches. She comfortably won the first game 21-9 but lost the second game 18-21 after conceding consecutive points while tied at 18-18. In the decisive third game, she built an early lead and closed out the match 21-11.

Despite Ahn Se-young's valiant effort, South Korea failed to secure a team victory. The team lost the subsequent second doubles, third singles, and fourth doubles matches consecutively to Japan, falling with an overall score of 1-3. Unable to overcome injuries to key players such as Kim Ga-eun and Gong Hee-yong, South Korea's bid for the final was thwarted, ultimately concluding their tournament campaign with a bronze medal.

Meanwhile, Japan also showed great interest in the first singles match between Ahn Se-young and Yamaguchi Akane. The Japanese sports specialty outlet 'D-Answer' reported on the day: "Fans' enthusiastic reactions and expressions of regret intertwined during this world-class epic battle between the two aces."

The outlet explained, "From the very first singles match, the two players engaged in an intense rally that captivated fans' attention. In the second game, Yamaguchi managed to counterattack despite bleeding from her right little finger, but showed signs of fatigue in the third game and ultimately lost the match to Ahn Se-young." It further evaluated, "Both players exchanged dazzling super plays throughout the match, heating up the venue."

However, despite the epic match between the two players, local Japanese fans expressed significant dissatisfaction with the viewing environment. 'D-Answer' reported, "Although the two players delivered an epic match, local terrestrial broadcasters did not air the game, leaving fans deeply disappointed." This was because the local broadcaster TBS did not schedule the match for terrestrial broadcast and only aired it via the online streaming platform U-NEXT.

Indeed, Japanese fans expressed deep regret over the lack of broadcast on social media platform 'X (formerly Twitter)'. They commented, "The match between Yamaguchi and Ahn Se-young was so exciting; shouldn't it have been broadcast on terrestrial TV?" and "It's such a shame they didn't air it on TV." At the same time, they added, "I envy those who could watch this epic match live in person" and "The showdown between world-class players is truly remarkable," applauding both athletes' performances.

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*This content was translated by AI.