Japanese media also called her the "Queen": "Even on an upward trend, Aketsu couldn't stand in front of An Se-young..." She faces Yamaguchi in the final

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

South Korea's badminton "Empress," An Se-young (Samsung Life), advanced to the Korea Open final, leaving just one victory away from her 11th title of the season. After consecutively defeating Japanese players, local Japanese media also described An as a "Queen."

World No. 1 An Se-young comprehensively defeated Aketsu Hina (Japan, World No. 16) 2-0 (21-16, 21-12) in the women's singles semifinal of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Korea Open (Super 500), held on the 7th at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.

With this, An has secured a spot in the final to be held on the 8th, gaining an opportunity to challenge for the title on home soil.

Local Japanese media also took note of An's performance. The Japanese badminton specialist outlet Badminton Spirit reported alongside news of An's victory, stating, "Aketsu, who had been maintaining good form, challenged An, who is aiming for a home title."

The outlet explained, "Aketsu increased her pace from the first game to face the 'Queen.' She engaged in a close battle until 13-15, but then allowed An four consecutive points, dropping the first game 16-21."

It continued, "An also seized control of the match in the second game." It added, "Aketsu, who was significantly behind in an 8-8 tie situation, attempted a comeback but ultimately lost 12-21."

The opponent was no pushover; she was a promising Japanese rookie. Aketsu caused an upset the previous day in the quarterfinals by defeating World No. 7 Miyazaki Tomoka (Japan) 2-1 (13-21, 23-21, 21-8).

In particular, Aketsu had previously lost all seven matches against Miyazaki, but she secured her first victory at this tournament to reach the semifinals.

However, she failed to create another upset against An Se-young.

An reached the final by consecutively defeating Japanese players in this tournament. Earlier in the quarterfinals, she comprehensively defeated World No. 20 Gunji Riko 2-0 (21-7, 21-13).

After dismantling both Gunji and Aketsu, An will now face another Japanese player.

Her final opponent is her rival and World No. 2 Yamaguchi Akane. Yamaguchi advanced to the final by defeating Lin Xiangti (Taiwan, World No. 18) 2-0 (21-16, 21-12) in the semifinal that day.

In particular, this final draws significant attention as it is a rematch of last year's Korea Open final.

An lost to Yamaguchi 0-2 (18-21, 13-21) in the Korea Open final held in Suwon in September last year, settling for the runner-up spot.

However, the situation has changed completely since then. An is on a streak of 10 consecutive victories against Yamaguchi following that defeat. She also leads their all-time head-to-head record with 24 wins and 15 losses.

Yamaguchi has also highly evaluated An's development. Previously, she stated, "In the past, I could take the lead in terms of speed or physical stamina. But now, An's physical abilities have improved, and her speed has increased."

She continued, "Previously, she was a player with excellent defense, but now her offensive power has also become strong. All her weaknesses have disappeared."

Nevertheless, she revealed her determination by saying, "Recently, I have rarely been able to win, but I think the number of times we play good matches is increasing. I want to challenge her as many times as possible." Ultimately, the two players will meet again in the Korea Open final.

An's recent momentum is overwhelming. She did not drop a single game across four matches from the round of 32 to the semifinals in this tournament.

With this victory, her record for the current season stands at 70 wins and 1 loss. Her winning percentage reaches an impressive 98.6%. She has been on a 54-match winning streak since her defeat in the All England Open final in March.

If An wins this Korea Open, she will claim her 11th title of the season. She has secured an opportunity to take revenge for last year's loss to Yamaguchi while lifting another championship trophy on home soil.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original