"Playing An Se-young from the very first round is simply too brutal a draw," European media lament... In the end, she managed only 14 points across two games in a crushing defeat

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

European media were left speechless by the overwhelming dominance of An Se-young (Samsung Life), hailed as the "Empress of Badminton."

World No. 1 An Se-young delivered a decisive 2-0 (21-6, 21-8) victory over Kaloyana Nalbantova (Bulgaria, ranked 36th) in the women's singles round of 32 at the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Korea Open (Super 500), held on the 4th at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.

With this win, An advanced to the round of 16, taking the first step toward her 11th title of the season.

Local Bulgarian media also reported on Nalbantova's crushing defeat. The Bulgarian outlet Focus described it as a "cruel draw encountered in Korea," noting that "Nalbantova lost to the world No. 1."

It further stated, "The draw results were ruthless for the young Bulgarian player," explaining that "Nalbantova was set to face An Se-young of host country South Korea, the tournament's strongest favorite and top seed, in her very first match."

Continuing, it highlighted, "Nalbantova lost 6-21 and 8-21 to An Se-young, who currently holds the world No. 1 ranking. The match ended in just 39 minutes," adding that "An is also a two-time world champion, having won the World Championships in 2023 and 2026."

Although Nalbantova is considered the flagship player of Bulgarian women's badminton, she was outmatched against the world's best, An Se-young.

Indeed, the match unfolded with a one-sided flow on that day. An seized the initiative by scoring six consecutive points from the start of the first game. She then extended her lead to 13-6 and went on to win eight straight points to close out the first game.

The one-sided momentum continued into the second game. An dominated her opponent, leading 12-1 at one point. Nalbantova attempted a comeback but was stifled by An's stable defense and offense, ultimately managing only eight points.

In the end, Nalbantova scored a mere total of 14 points across the two games. An never relinquished control throughout the match, easily wrapping up her first contest.

The gap between the two players is also evident in their head-to-head record. Since first facing Nalbantova at the 2024 Paris Olympics, An has won all four matches up to this encounter. Nalbantova failed to win a single game in their four meetings.

An Se-young's formidable upward trajectory has continued throughout the year.

On the 25th of last month, An claimed the top spot at the French Open (Super 750), securing her 10th title of the season. Simultaneously, she set records for winning five consecutive tournaments and reaching the summit of international competitions for the 48th time in her career.

With this victory, her winning streak extended to 51 matches. An has not lost a single match since her defeat in the All England Open final last March. Her record this year stands at 67 wins and 1 loss in 68 matches, boasting an impressive win rate of 98.5%.

Concerns had arisen regarding physical fatigue due to her recent consecutive tournament appearances, but An decided to compete in front of domestic fans. And she lived up to their expectations with a dominant victory in her first match at the Korea Open.

Now, An Se-young sets her sights on her 11th title of the season. If she conquers this Korea Open as well, she will match the single-season record of 11 titles set by Japan's Momo Takahashi in 2019.

Having previously topped the Korea Open in 2022 and 2023, An is also aiming for her third title at this tournament in her career.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original