'Collapsed before even meeting An Se-young': Japanese beauty star Miyazaki suffers shocking defeat, first loss to opponent she had beaten in all 7 previous meetings, 'major upset'

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Japan's "beauty badminton star" Miyazaki Moka (world No. 7) suffered a shocking comeback loss. The anticipated semifinal clash with Korea's "queen" An Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance) was also called off.

Miyazaki lost in straight sets, 1-2 (21-13, 21-23, 8-21), to fellow Japanese player Akechi Hina (world No. 16) in the women's singles round of 16 at the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Korea Open (Super 500), held on the 6th at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.

The result was unexpected. Miyazaki had held an overwhelming advantage over Akechi, having won all seven previous meetings between the two. Although Miyazaki ranked significantly higher in the world rankings, it was Akechi who emerged victorious this time.

In the early stages of the match, a Miyazaki victory appeared likely. She took control by winning the first game 21-13.

However, the momentum shifted in the second game. Miyazaki engaged in a fierce battle with Akechi but fell short at deuce, losing 21-23. The match went to a deciding third game.

In the end, Miyazaki crumbled. In the third game, she ceded complete control to Akechi, managing to score only eight points. After a 62-minute contest, Miyazaki's elimination from the round of 16 was confirmed.

Japanese badminton specialist media outlet Badminton Spirit noted that "Akechi secured the tight second game with a 23-21 victory," adding that "in the final game, it was Miyazaki who began to fall apart first."

The outlet further assessed that "Miyazaki saw the point gap widen in the final game. It was painful that she failed to close out the tight second game with a win."

With Miyazaki's defeat, the anticipated showdown with An Se-young was also canceled.

Miyazaki has been a player drawing attention not only for her performance but also for her appearance at this Korea Open.

Previously, Japanese sports media outlet Spread highlighted that Miyazaki enjoys high popularity in South Korea as well.

The outlet introduced reports from Korean media, stating that "Miyazaki is called the 'fairy of the Japanese badminton world.'" It also conveyed expressions such as "she is truly cute."

In particular, Spread emphasized that Miyazaki had a 7-0 record against Akechi. Based on this, it predicted that if she advanced past the round of 16, there was a high probability she would face world No. 1 An Se-young in the semifinals.

However, with Miyazaki suffering an unexpected loss in the round of 16, the matchup between the two players ultimately did not materialize.

On the other hand, An Se-young advanced to the semifinals without resistance. On the same day in the round of 16, she comprehensively defeated Japan's Gunji Riko (world No. 20) 2-0 (21-7, 21-13). The match lasted only 37 minutes.

With this victory, An Se-young extended her winning streak to 53 matches and improved her record at international tournaments this year to 69 wins and 1 loss. She also continued her pursuit of her 11th title of the season. At this tournament, she is also challenging for a third consecutive Korea Open title.

Consequently, the semifinal held on the 7th will feature a South Korea-Japan clash between An Se-young and Akechi, rather than An Se-young and Miyazaki.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original