"An upset against An Se-young is extremely difficult" — China also acknowledges the overwhelming gap... "Han We was outmatched in both offense and defense"

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"It is very difficult to pull off an upset against An Se-young."

China acknowledged the dominant performance of world No. 1 An Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance).

On the 23rd (Korean time), An Se-young delivered a decisive 2-0 (21-13, 21-16) victory over Han We in the women's singles quarterfinals of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour French Open (Super 750), held in Paris, France.

The match lasted a mere 36 minutes. An Se-young never relinquished control from the first game. She did not allow Han We to take the lead at any point after the start of the match, and after pulling away to 18-10 late in the game, she secured the first game with a score of 21-13.

In the second game, An Se-young was trailing 6-10 at one point. However, she then scored five consecutive points to turn the tide and take an 11-10 lead. At 15-13, she again recorded five straight points, effectively deciding the outcome of the match.

Chinese media also acknowledged the difference in performance between the two players.

China's Sina.com evaluated, "Han We was dominated by An Se-young in both offense and defense, and failed to bring the score to a critical juncture in either game."

The outlet further noted, "Throughout the match, Han We was at a disadvantage in net-front battles as well as clear and drop shot exchanges from the backcourt. An Se-young's defensive coverage range and quality of counterattacks were clearly superior," highlighting the gap in skill.

This assessment was not based solely on that day's match. Sina.com also took note of the overwhelming momentum An Se-young has been showing on the women's singles stage.

The media explained, "An Se-young's historic level of dominance, Han We's physical exhaustion, and the difference in skill between the two players combined to produce this result."

It also reported, "This season, she has even recorded a 61-1 win-loss record," adding, "Facing an opponent in such hot form, Han We failed to find an effective breakthrough in the quarterfinals."

The outlet emphasized, "An Se-young's results show that she is at the peak of her career," and stated, "While Han We possesses a certain level of skill, it is extremely difficult to cause an upset when facing an opponent in such excellent condition."

With Han We's elimination, Chinese women's singles failed to produce a single semifinalist at this French Open.

Earlier, "world No. 3" Wang Zhiyi lost 0-2 (19-21, 20-22) to Japan's world No. 22 Aketa Hina in the second round. With Han We, who had survived until the end, also being stopped by An Se-young, China's challenge in women's singles came to a close.

On the other hand, An Se-young's winning streak continues. With this victory, An Se-young is just two matches away from her 10th individual title of the year.

If she reaches the top of this French Open, she will achieve a fifth consecutive tournament win, following her titles at the World Championships, China Masters, Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, and Denmark Open.

She is also aiming for a third consecutive title at the French Open. An Se-young won this tournament in 2024 and 2025. An Se-young's next opponent will be Japan's Veteran Okuhara Nozomi (world No. 9).

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original