In the middle of it all, An Se-young faces "unconditional surrender"... As her country's ace falls in a "38-minute knockout," China admits: "An absolute powerhouse with not a single weakness. We truly cannot beat her" [Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games]

*This content was translated by AI.

As "Shuttlecock Queen" An Se-young (Samsung Life) completely dismantled tough opponent Chen Yufei (China) in just 38 minutes, even local Chinese media praised her flawless performance.

An Se-young defeated world No. 4 Chen Yufei 2-0 (21-5, 21-12) in the women's singles semifinal of badminton at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held on the 28th at Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. With this victory, An extended her winning streak against Chen to five consecutive matches.

She displayed an overwhelming skill gap throughout the match. An immediately seized control by scoring nine consecutive points right from the start of the first game. After neutralizing her opponent's powerful smashes with solid defense and precise counterattacks to build a 16-5 lead, she added another five straight points to close out the first game while conceding only five points. In the second game as well, An maintained stable control of the match, adding four consecutive points from a 16-12 lead to reach match point before cleanly finishing the game.

A new chapter in history is within reach. If An Se-young wins the final, she will become the first player in the history of women's singles badminton at the Asian Games—and the first South Korean athlete—to achieve a double title (two consecutive gold medals). Having already achieved a "Grand Slam" by winning the World Championships, Olympics, Asian Championships, and Asian Games, An has swept nine tournaments this year, including team events, maintaining an unparalleled record of 55 wins and one loss.

Chinese media outlet Sohu.com also focused on An Se-young's performance. The outlet evaluated that "An Se-young proved her top-tier skill by leveraging ultra-fast transitions between offense and defense, along with precise shuttlecock control." It further noted that "her strengths lie not in a single weapon, but in efficient footwork, a low error rate, and all-around technical ability," citing her maturity beyond her years and calm pressure management as key factors for her strong championship prospects.

The outlet praised, "It was An Se-young's absolute dominance. Chen Yufei appeared to be dragged along by An's impeccable offense and defense. Although Chen gave it her all, she was outmatched against An." It added, "In this top-tier showdown, An perfectly demonstrated what the highest level of skill looks like."

The outlet also did not forget to offer encouragement to its own country's player, Chen Yufei. It reported, "Although she failed to advance to the final, Chen Yufei showed excellent resilience, including defeating Sindhu (India) in the quarterfinals," and noted that "she earned a valuable bronze medal with an inspiring fighting spirit, chasing the shuttlecock until the very end." Additionally, it expressed hope that Chen would rise again on the international stage after overcoming injuries and pressure.

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*This content was translated by AI.