On Wednesday, Shuttlecock Queen An Se-young (World No. 1, Samsung Life) outplayed her rival Akane Yamaguchi (World No. 3, Japan) in the badminton team event semifinals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The South Korean women’s badminton squad, eyeing their second straight team title, gained the upper hand thanks to An’s stellar performance.
An Se-young, the world’s top-ranked player, faced off against Yamaguchi in the opening singles match of the women’s team semifinal at Ichinomiya Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. She clinched a 2-1 victory (21-9, 18-21, 21-11).
An triumphed over Yamaguchi, her main rival for the women’s singles gold in this tournament, in their team event encounter.
This win extended An’s head-to-head record against Yamaguchi to 22-15. Notably, since her loss to Yamaguchi in last August’s Suwon Korea Open final, An has reeled off eight consecutive wins against her Japanese counterpart.
The team competition follows a singles-doubles-singles-doubles-singles format, with the first team to secure three wins emerging victorious. An’s win put South Korea in pole position to reach the finals for the second time in a row.
If South Korea advances, they’ll battle for gold against either China or Indonesia on September 24 at 9:30 a.m. (KST).
An came out firing in the first game.
After edging ahead 4-3, she unleashed a barrage of dazzling attacks and rock-solid defense, reeling off eight straight points to seize control.
She then coolly fended off Yamaguchi’s comeback attempts to pocket the opening set.
The second game turned into a nail-biter. An showcased her grit with spectacular diving saves to counter Yamaguchi’s offensive.
In a crucial moment, An’s attack sailed long after a grueling rally, putting her behind 18-19. Lady Luck then smiled on Yamaguchi as her shot clipped the net for a winner. An ultimately dropped the second game.
In the decisive third game, An rediscovered her mojo.
Knotted at 4-4, she rattled off six unanswered points to build a cushion. She then unleashed a ferocious attack to surge ahead 17-7, all but sealing the deal.
An clinched the match by capturing the final point at 20-11.
The Korean badminton squad, spearheaded by An, is gunning for a record-breaking three gold medals at these Asian Games. They’re banking on An, the two-time champion from the previous Hangzhou Games, to deliver golds in both women’s singles and team events.
An has been in scintillating form, living up to expectations with flying colors.
Just a day earlier in the team quarterfinals against Malaysia, she steamrolled Lechana Karupatevan (World No. 28) in a mere 33 minutes, winning 2-0 (21-12, 21-8), before toppling Yamaguchi.