[서울=뉴스핌] Reporter Nam Jeong-hoon = Ahn Se-young, who we all knew was the ‘world’s strongest’, appeared on the court again. Seyoung Ahn (Samsung Life Insurance) successfully advanced to the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Open by completely defeating veteran Nozomi Okuhara (Japan).
Ahn Se-young, world number one in women’s singles, defeated world number 30 Okuhara 2-0 (21-17, 21-7) in the round of 16 of the World Tour Super 1000 Malaysia Open women’s singles held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the 8th. The game lasted only 37 minutes. It was a superior performance in all aspects, from stamina, technique, and game management.
With this victory, Ahn Se-young settled into the quarterfinals. Initially, the match against world number 5 Hanyue (China) was likely to take place in the quarterfinals, but Hanyue withdrew in the round of 16 and had to compete with world number 26 Rine Højmark Kiersfeld (Denmark) to advance to the semifinals.
The Malaysia Open is a stage that has special meaning for Ahn Se-young. He reigned as the absolute powerhouse of this competition, reaching the top in succession in the 2024 and 2025 competitions. If he lifts the championship trophy in this tournament, he will complete the record of winning the Malaysia Open three times in a row.
This victory is even more meaningful compared to the previous game. In the round of 32 held on the 6th, Ahn Se-young lost the first set against Michelle Lee (Canada) and was on the verge of elimination. After a close game, they came from behind to win 2-1, but the match took only 1 hour and 15 minutes, so much stamina was consumed and the content of the game was not easy. It was a precarious match that could have led to elimination early in the competition.
Ahn Se-young, who returned to the court after a day’s rest, showed a completely different appearance. The unique performance that dominated the opponent throughout last year’s season seemed to have been revived. Ahn Se-young’s badminton was played with speed, defensive range, and rally management that suffocated the opponent.
Although his current world ranking is not as good as it used to be, Okuhara, his opponent, is also not an easy player. Okuhara is a bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and an iconic Japanese badminton player who once ranked No. 1 in the world. He was still a threat in terms of experience and skill.
In the beginning of the actual game, Ahn Se-young struggled somewhat. At one point in the middle of the first set, the team lost momentum by getting down to 5-8. However, after the interval, Ahn Se-young quickly changed the tone of the game. Okuhara’s stamina was gradually exhausted with accurate shots that hit the corners of the court and long rallies. Ahn Se-young persistently attacked Okuhara, whose movements gradually became slower, and eventually tied the score at 15-15, then took full control and won the first set.
The game was effectively decided in the second set. Okuhara, who consumed a lot of stamina in the first set, noticeably lost her movement, and Ahn Se-young did not miss this. Although they gave up a few points in the beginning, they quickly widened the gap by showing off their explosive scoring ability by scoring 11 points in a row. Afterwards, Ahn Se-young, who completely controlled the flow of the game, finished the game leisurely.
Ahn Se-young continued her unbelievable run starting with winning the Malaysia Open last year. He swept the World Tour Finals held in December of last year and recorded 11 wins in one season, matching the record for most wins in a single season set by Japan’s Kento Momota in 2019. In addition, he recorded an astonishing record of 73 wins, 4 losses, and a winning rate of 94.8%, setting a new record for the highest winning rate in a single season in badminton history. The cumulative prize money also exceeded $1 million, breaking the all-time record.
Starting with the Malaysia Open, Ahn Se-young, who has also confirmed her participation in the India Open, which opens on the 13th, is ready to once again surpass the various records she has set.
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