Ahn Se-young vs Yamaguchi: The 21-5 Match Truth

[파이낸셜뉴스] The word ‘natural enemy’ is no longer appropriate. Badminton queen Ahn Se-young (23, Samsung Life Insurance) gave Akane Yamaguchi, the star of Japanese badminton, a nightmare and crossed the 8th division ridge toward victory in the ‘King of Kings’. There are now only two steps left to reach the legendary record of ‘11 wins in the season’.

Ahn Se-young achieved a thrilling comeback victory over Yamaguchi with a set score of 2-1 (14-21 21-5 21-14) in the third match of Group A of the 2025 BWF World Tour Finals women’s singles group stage held in Hangzhou, China on the 19th. Although the game was played with advancement to the semifinals already confirmed, there was nothing ‘sloppy’ about Ahn Se-young. Rather, he destroyed his opponent so thoroughly that he was horrendous.

In particular, the second set was shocking. Ahn Se-young, who lost the first set to the influence of the wind and a mistake, ‘awakened’ at the start of the second set. He held Yamaguchi back with his unique defense and sharp diagonal smashes that covered the entire court. The score was a whopping 21-5. It was an overwhelming score difference that made it hard to believe that it was a match at the top of the world rankings. Ahn Se-young’s performance was so perfect that Yamaguchi shook his head and lost his will to fight.

His concentration in the 3rd set also shined. With the lead at 15-14, on thin ice, Ahn Se-young took the lead by scoring a long rally, and quickly ended the game by scoring six consecutive points. Yamaguchi, who had been held back at important milestones such as the Korea Open in the past, has completed a clear ‘ranking process’. They also took the upper hand by overturning their opponent’s record to 16 wins and 15 losses.

Now Ahn Se-young’s gaze turns to ‘history’. If Ahn Se-young, who has already swept 10 wins this season, reaches the top of this competition, she will be on par with the most wins in a single season (11 wins) set by Kento Momota (Japan) in 2019. In order to break the Japanese player’s record, the Japanese ace was sacrificed.

Ahn Se-young, who advanced to the semifinals by finishing first in the group (3 wins),’s next opponent is Ratchanok Inthanon (Thailand). If he reaches the finals, he will compete for the championship with Wang Ziyi (China) or Yamaguchi, whom he will meet again. However, with the current momentum, it seems difficult to stop ‘Ahn Se-young in the world’ no matter who comes forward. Preparations are over for the national anthem to sound once again in Hangzhou.

[email protected] Reporter Jeon Sang-il