'Queen' An Se-young has advanced to the semifinals of the women's singles badminton event with ease, now just two steps away from securing her second consecutive title.
On September 27, at the Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan, An faced Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, winning decisively with a score of 2-0. Intanon, ranked fifth in the world, proved to be a formidable opponent, but An finished the first game in just 16 minutes with a score of 21-8. The second game took only 15 minutes, ending with a score of 21-9 in her favor.
An has showcased her overwhelming skill throughout the tournament, not dropping a single game so far. Her next opponent in the semifinals will be either Chen Yufei of China, ranked fourth, or Pusarla V. Sindhu of India, ranked 11th. Chen is considered a rival, having lost to An in the finals of the women's singles at the 2022 Hangzhou Games.
Additionally, An secured a bronze medal in the women's team event at this tournament, ensuring she will leave with at least multiple medals. There will be no separate bronze medal playoff in this competition. If she wins the gold medal, she will achieve back-to-back titles in singles, following her victories in both women's singles and team events at the Hangzhou Games.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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