Just Two Games, and a 21-8 Double Score... An Se-young Dominates the Court as If She Were Warming Up [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] The "shuttlecock queen," An Se-young of Samsung Life Insurance, had no room even for a feeling-out phase in her dictionary.
The world No. 1's dominance overwhelmed the court from the very first match. An Se-young displayed a level of play in a class of its own from the opening match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, launching South Korea's women's national badminton team's unstoppable drive toward a second consecutive team title.
An Se-young took the court as South Korea's first singles player in the women's team quarterfinal against Malaysia on the 22nd at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. She thoroughly "cooked" world No. 28 Retchana Karupathevan, winning 2-0 (21-12, 21-8). She performed the crucial role of seizing the initiative for the entire team perfectly—indeed, at 120 percent.
An Se-young's form was already at its peak in the first game. Her trademark nimble footwork and sharp strokes quickly opened up a widening lead. Karupathevan could not keep up with An Se-young's tempo, repeatedly swinging and missing and committing unforced errors. An Se-young never allowed even a single chance to counterattack and completely seized control with a comfortable 21-12, nine-point victory.
In the second game, Karupathevan fought desperately, scoring the first three points in a row to mount fierce resistance. But the queen's mercy ended there. After regrouping, An Se-young leveled the score at 4-4 and then unleashed a terrifying burst of power, sweeping up six consecutive points and breaking down her opponent's confidence. Against her world-class "net defense," Malaysia's attacks were repeatedly cut off before the shuttlecock could hit the floor. The match ended with an overwhelming 21-8 double-score victory.
A badminton team match consists of three singles matches and two doubles matches played alternately, with the nation that first wins three of the five matches declared the winner. With ace An Se-young smoothly taking care of the most difficult opening hurdle, South Korea's players waiting to follow can now take the court with considerably less pressure.


For the badminton team, which is targeting three gold medals at the Nagoya Games, the women's team event is by far the strongest "gold-medal event." The momentum created by An Se-young's victory will be carried forward by the world No. 2 women's doubles pair of Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na, who will take the court second. After them, a powerful lineup awaits its turn: singles player Kim Ga-eun, ranked No. 12 in the world; the Kim Hye-jung-Jeong Na-eun doubles pair; and singles player Kim Garam.
If South Korea defeats Malaysia and reaches the semifinals, it will face the winner of India and Japan in a decisive battle for a coveted place in the final. The "An Se-young time" that has begun to dominate the Nagoya court is dramatically opening the door to a golden renaissance for South Korean badminton.


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