World No. 1 badminton player An Se-young (Samsung Life) secured a decisive victory in her first match at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. After briefly feeling nervous before the match, she quickly found her rhythm on the court, fulfilling her role as the first player for the South Korean women's team.
An faced Malaysia's world-ranked 28th player, Karupathiban Lechana, in the quarterfinals of the women's team event on September 22 at the Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, winning 2-0 (21-12, 21-8).
Although she appeared somewhat stiff at the start of the first game, An took control by drawing errors from her opponent through long rallies and strategic shots. After leading 11-5 at the interval, she maintained her advantage and closed the first game at 21-12.
In the second game, An initially fell behind 0-4 but quickly turned the tide. After trailing 3-4, she scored five consecutive points to take the lead and extended her advantage with solid defense against Lechana's attacks. The match concluded with a score of 21-8, aided by Lechana's errors in the latter part of the game.
After her first match at the Asian Games, An spoke with reporters in the mixed zone, stating, "The pressure and burden that come with a big stage like the Asian Games can only be overcome by going a bit crazy. So, I made it my resolve to 'go crazy.'"
She added, "Before entering the match, I feel a bit weak, as I have to score 21 points on my own, which can be daunting and anxiety-inducing. However, focusing on just 'one point at a time' makes me feel stronger, and that's how I manage to overcome it."
An's parents were also present to support her during the match. She mentioned that she thought her parents would be more nervous than she was, and she reassured them before the game.
Having won gold medals in both women's singles and team events at the Hangzhou Games, An is aiming for two titles again in this competition. If she wins the women's singles event, she will become the first player to achieve back-to-back victories since the event was introduced in the Asian Games in 1962. Before this tournament, An had an impressive record of 49 wins and 1 loss this season, and her light movements in the first match signaled her intent to defend her title.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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