World No. 1 An Se-young of South Korea beat Malaysia’s Letshana Karupathevan 21-10, 21-12 in 36 minutes in the round of 16 at the BWF Korea Open Super 500 on Thursday, stretching her winning streak to 52 matches and taking her 2025 season record to 68 wins in 69 matches, Xports News reported. The victory at Jinam Gymnasium in Yeosu moved the Samsung Life player into the quarterfinals, where she faces Japan’s Rico Gunji on Friday.
The match was broadcast live on the Badminton World Federation’s international feed, and the BWF commentary team repeatedly struggled to keep up with the quality of An’s play, at one point saying there were so many great shots they could not call them all.
52 straight wins since the All England final
An’s streak dates to March, when she lost the All England Open Super 1000 final to China’s Wang Zhiyi, then ranked No. 3. Every match since — across Super 750 and Super 500 events, including back-to-back tournaments in Denmark and France last month — has ended in her favor. Her season win rate now stands at 98.55%, with 68 victories against a single defeat.
An held Karupathevan, the world No. 28, to 10 points in the first game, using a straight smash dropping inside the line. In the second game she reeled off runs of five straight points and four straight points, plus two separate three-point runs, before closing out 21-12.
BWF commentators: “Too many great shots to describe”
As An entered the court, the BWF broadcast team noted that her 47th career title at the Denmark Open had made her the most successful women’s singles player in badminton history, adding that with the subsequent French Open win she stood at 48, and that “she said she wanted to become a legend, and she is becoming one.” They went as far as calling her a “living G.O.A.T.”
Throughout the match, the commentators praised nearly every rally. At 5-0 in the first game they said class was evident in every part of the point. At 15-7 they noted she could attack long or short, left or right, at will. At 18-7 they said only Wang Zhiyi and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi could match the consistency of her shot-making. The remark that drew attention came at 8-2 in the second game: there were simply too many good shots to describe them all on air. After the final point, they noted the roar of the Korean crowd and that An was “sailing toward” her 49th career title and 11th of the year.
Fatigue, an Achilles scare, and the decision to play
After consecutive Super 750 events at the Denmark Open and French Open, An’s conditioning had dropped, and during the Denmark Open final she slipped on court and sprained her right Achilles. Xports News reported she considered withdrawing from the Korea Open but decided to play after a final fitness check. She beat Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova, ranked No. 36, in straight games in the first round on Wednesday before dispatching Karupathevan.
Three Japanese opponents before a likely final with Yamaguchi
An now prepares for a run of three matches against Japanese players. On Friday at 3:20 p.m. local time she meets No. 8 seed Rico Gunji, ranked No. 20. A win sends her to a semifinal against the winner of Tomoka Miyazaki (No. 7) and Hina Akechi (No. 16). The final, if the bracket holds, would be against world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan.
That potential matchup carries history: An lost the Korea Open final to Yamaguchi 0-2 last September, but since then she has won 21 matches against Japanese opponents, a run that has earned her the “Japan killer” tag among Korean fans.
FAQ
Who does she play next? Rico Gunji of Japan will play in the Korea Open quarterfinals on the 6th at 3:20 p.m. local time at Jinam Gymnasium in Yeosu.
Fatigue from the Denmark and French Opens and a right Achilles sprain suffered when she slipped in the Denmark final led her to consider withdrawing before a final check cleared her to play.
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