"As expected, there was no miracle." An Se-young demolishes Malaysia's star in just 36 minutes... Concerns from rival media become reality as she extends her winning streak to 52 matches

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

As expected, there was no miracle. "Badminton Queen" An Se-young (Samsung Life) crushed Malaysia's flagship player in just 36 minutes, extending her winning streak to 52 matches.

World No. 1 An Se-young defeated Karupathevan Letshana (Malaysia, World No. 28) 2-0 (21-10, 21-12) in the women's singles round of 16 at the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Korea Open (Super 500), held on the 5th at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.

It took just 36 minutes to secure the victory. With this win, An advanced to the quarterfinals, continuing her challenge for her 11th title of the season.

In fact, Malaysian local media had expressed concern about the matchup with An Se-young even before the match began.

Earlier, the Malaysian outlet The Star reported, "Letshana needs something special to end her long streak of failing to reach the quarterfinals," adding that she "faces the difficult task of meeting the formidable opponent who is World No. 1 An Se-young."

The media further analyzed, "Since reaching the quarterfinals at the Malaysia Masters in May last year, Letshana has failed to advance to the quarterfinals in nine consecutive tournaments," noting that "the possibility of ending her slump this time does not appear high."

The reason was, once again, An Se-young's overwhelming performance. The outlet praised, "An Se-young is showing a level of performance in this season that is on another dimension compared to other players," stating that "An Se-young, who has stood atop the world championships twice, is displaying an almost unstoppable form."

Indeed, there was a significant gap in the head-to-head record between the two players. Letshana had lost all four previous encounters against An Se-young.

In particular, she suffered two defeats this year alone. She lost to An Se-young at the Asian Mixed Team Badminton Championships held in Qingdao, China, in February last year, and also failed to avoid defeat in the women's team event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September last year.

The result was no different this time. An Se-young took control of the momentum by scoring five consecutive points from the start of the first game. Although she allowed a chase up to 10-7, she then scored eight straight points to pull ahead 18-7. She ultimately took the first game 21-10.

An Se-young's dominant performance continued in the second game as well. She established the lead early with a 5-0 advantage and widened the gap by scoring four consecutive points when the score was 13-8.

Letshana attempted a counterattack, but it was not enough to turn the tide. An Se-young closed out the second game 21-12, securing a complete victory.

With this, Letshana has now recorded five consecutive losses against An Se-young. Her streak of failing to reach the quarterfinals, which began in May last year, has extended to 10 consecutive tournaments. Ultimately, she had to feel once again the wall of the world's strongest player, An Se-young.

On the other hand, An Se-young's solo run continues. An reached the top of the podium at the French Open (Super 750) on the 25th of last month, achieving her 10th title of the season. At that time, she also set records for winning five consecutive tournaments and reaching the top of international tournaments for the 48th time in her career.

With this win in the Korea Open round of 16, her winning streak has grown to a whopping 52 matches. She has not lost even once since falling to Wang Zhiyi (China) in the All England Open final in March last year. Her record for this season is 68 wins and 1 loss in 69 matches, with a win rate reaching an impressive 98.5%.

There were also concerns about her physical condition due to recent heavy scheduling. After finishing the Asian Games, An participated consecutively in the Denmark Open and the French Open, accumulating strain on her knee and calf. She had considered whether to participate in the Korea Open but ultimately decided to step in front of domestic fans.

In the tournament's first match, she defeated Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova 2-0 (21-6, 21-8), and then crushed Letshana as well, winning two consecutive matches without dropping a single game.

Now, An Se-young's gaze is directed toward her 11th title of the season. If she conquers this Korea Open, she will achieve the great record of winning 11 tournaments in a single season for the second consecutive year, following last year.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original