(Seoul = News 1) Sports Reporter Lim Seong-il = ‘Shuttlecock Empress’ Ahn Se-young (24, Samsung Life Insurance), who took the first step in 2026 by lifting the trophy in the first competition of the new year, is going to collect the second championship trophy. But this time, it seems like luck is at hand. In the second competition of the season, I received a fairly easy bracket.
Ahn Se-young, world number one in badminton women’s singles, aims for the top once again at the ‘Badminton World Federation (BWF) India Open (Super 750)’ held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi, India. Ahn Se-young, who reported a season-long victory at the Malaysia Open, which she participated in for the first time in the new year, will challenge for her second consecutive victory in the tournament along with her second consecutive win. Seyoung Ahn is the 2023 and 2025 India Open champion.
Ahn Se-young, who set the record for the most wins in a single season (11 wins) last year with an overwhelming win rate of 73 wins and 4 losses and 94.8%, expressed his determination to “come back stronger in 2026 and break more records,” and got off to a refreshing start by winning his first competition. The prospects for the next stage are also bright.
Ahn Se-young starts the India Open with the round of 32, which will be held on the 14th, the second day of the tournament. Many players rested one more day, unlike the first round held on the 13th. I didn’t have time to catch my breath as I had to travel right after the Malaysia Open final (11th), but I was able to prepare more leisurely.
The opponent she will meet at the first hurdle is Japanese veteran Nozomi Okuhara (30, ranked 30th), who won just a few days ago.
Ahn Se-young met Okuhara in the round of 16 of the Malaysia Open on the 8th and won 2-0. Game 1 was tight at 21-17, but game 2 was 21-7 and one-sided. In particular, after giving up the first point, they increased their momentum by scoring 11 points. Ahn Se-young, who caught the momentum with a complete win over Okuhara, continued his winning ways until the finals and recorded his first win of the season. We compete again in six days with good memories.
It is not bad for Ahn Se-young that she will not be able to meet Kim Ga-eun (ranked 16th), who is in sync with her team Samsung Life Insurance and the national team in the round of 16. Ga-eun Kim met Taiwanese rookie Huang Yu-xun in the round of 32 of the tournament held on the 13th and lost 1-2. It seemed like they would achieve an easy victory by winning the first game 21-10, but they suffered an unexpected defeat.
It’s a disappointing result for Kim Ga-eun, but from Ahn Se-young’s perspective, it’s a relief to avoid a ‘senior’ who knows her strengths and weaknesses well after living with her for a long time.
Afterwards, Ahn Se-young is expected to be able to avoid facing a ‘championship level’ powerhouse until the finals. It is also nice to see that Yamaguchi (ranked 3rd), who is relatively strong against Ahn Se-young, will not participate.
Yamaguchi previously met India’s Pusala Sindhu in the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Open, dropped the first set, and then withdrew ahead of the second set. Due to poor physical condition at that time, Yamaguchi did not participate in the India Open at all. If she had competed, there was a high possibility that she would meet Ahn Se-young in the pre-semifinal stage.
‘China’s strong players’ Wang Zhiyi (ranked 2nd), Chen Yufei (4th), and Han Yue (5th), who are subject to caution, are all placed opposite Ahn Se-young in the bracket. We won’t meet again until the finals.
Although he must overcome formidable opponents such as Indonesia’s Putri Kusma Wardani (ranked 6th) and Thailand’s Ratchanok Inthanon (ranked 7th), it is less burdensome compared to Wang Zhiyi, Chen Yufei, and Han Yue, whom he has been meeting at high levels in recent international competitions.
On the contrary, the Chinese trio, who shout ‘Down with Ahn Se-young’, must overcome a difficult course in which they must defeat their domestic rivals in order to challenge the ‘Empress’ in the final stage.
Ahn Se-young won the Malaysia Open and the India Open last year, eventually reaching 11 wins. The stage is well set for a 2-game winning streak this season.
lastuncle@news1.kr
