Badminton player An Se-young advanced to the semifinals with an overwhelming victory, continuing her campaign for a historic second women’s singles title despite a grueling schedule that has drawn criticism from athletes.
An Se-young Cruises Past Ratchanok Intanon in Nagoya
An defeated Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon, closing out the match in 31 minutes during the quarterfinals held in Nagoya, Japan. The doubles pairings for South Korea also secured their spots in the semifinals, though player fatigue emerged as a central concern due to tight tournament scheduling enforced by event organizers.
Relentless Pace and a Childhood Idol
Facing Intanon, ranked fifth globally, An applied relentless pressure from the opening rallies. Intanon struggled to match the pace, committing repeated errors as An dictated the tempo.
Following the match, An shared a lighthearted moment with Intanon, striking her childhood role model’s signature celebration pose on the court.
Chasing Back-to-Back Titles Against Chen Yufei
The victory keeps An on track as she aims to become the first South Korean woman to capture back-to-back singles titles. Her next challenge in the semifinal round is China’s Chen Yufei, regarded as her primary rival.
In the doubles events, South Korea also posted strong results. The world number one pairing, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho, secured a hard-fought win against their Japanese opponents behind precise, aggressive shot-making. Meanwhile, world championship titleholders Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na defeated their opponents from Chinese Taipei to move into the final four.
Athlete Backlash Over Brutal Tournament Scheduling
Despite the strong performances, the tournament's programming has sparked complaints from competitors forced to handle demanding turnarounds. Players highlighted instances of packed fixtures requiring athletes to compete twice in a single day, or face morning matches just hours after finishing late-night encounters.
Seo and Kim voiced frustration over the recovery window, noting that their late finish the previous night led expectations of an evening slot, only for organizers to schedule an early morning fixture that left their bodies feeling heavy.
The Physical Toll on the International Circuit
The scheduling pressure was further highlighted when Indian player Pusarla V. Sindhu completed her round of 16 match at 1:00 AM, only to return to the court for her quarterfinal bout roughly 12 hours later.
Reflecting on the physical toll of the back-to-back matches, An admitted to the grueling nature of the tournament pace. The remaining singles and doubles semifinal fixtures are scheduled to take place the following day in Nagoya.
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