An Se-young defeats Chen Yufei, advances Japan Open semis

Badminton star An Se-young, 23, of Samsung Life Insurance, avenged her only loss of the season by defeating archrival Chen Yufei of China.

World No. 1 An beat fifth-ranked Chen 2-0 (21-16, 21-9) in just 43 minutes during the Japan Open women’s singles quarterfinals in Tokyo on July 18. She controlled the match from start to finish, never trailing in either set.

An has compiled a 30-1 record this season on the BWF World Tour, capturing five titles in six international tournaments. Her sole defeat came at the Singapore Open on May 30, where Chen ended her 25-match winning streak by winning 2-0 in the quarterfinals. Although Chen leads their head-to-head series 13-12, An holds the recent advantage, winning seven of their last 10 meetings.

In the men’s doubles quarterfinals earlier, Samsung Life players Seo Seung-jae, 28, and Kim Won-ho, 26, advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 (21-13, 18-21, 21-13) victory over Malaysia’s Man Wei Chong and Kai Wun Tee. The pair, who began partnering this year, now seek their fifth title of the season.


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com