World No. 1's first 2025 loss ends three-match streak vs Yamaguchi, head-to-head 14-15

[OSEN=Jung Seung-woo Reporter] An Se-young (23, Samsung Life Insurance), the world No. 1 in women's singles badminton, failed to secure her eighth international tournament victory this year after losing to Japan's Akane Yamaguchi (world No. 4) in the final of the Korea Open held at home.

An Se-young lost 0-2 (18-21 13-21) to Yamaguchi in the women's singles final of the 2025 BWF World Tour Super 500 Korea Open held at Suwon Gymnasium on the 28th. This ended her three-game winning streak against Yamaguchi this year and marked her first defeat. The head-to-head record also shifted to 14 wins and 15 losses, putting her at a disadvantage again.

An Se-young struggled to gain control from the start due to sluggish movement. After tying at 2-2 in the first game, she committed consecutive unforced errors and fell behind. Though she caught up to 17-17, rushed attacks led to consecutive out-of-bound shots, and she eventually lost 18-21.

She also failed to shift momentum in the second game. Yamaguchi's sharp drives and precise shot placement exploited An's early lead deficit. An appeared physically drained, kneeling on the court or bracing herself with her racket to catch her breath. She ultimately collapsed 13-21 without mounting a comeback.

An Se-young, who won the Korea Open consecutively in 2022 and 2023, aimed for a third straight title but fell short. The disappointment deepened as strong competitors like world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi, No. 3 Han Yue, and No. 5 Chen Yufei (all from China) did not participate, making a "home three-peat" seem more attainable.

An Se-young, who has participated in 10 international tournaments this year and won seven, has proven her dominance as the face of Korean badminton. However, on this day, she succumbed to Yamaguchi's experienced tactics amid poor conditioning and physical strain, postponing her defense of the home title to another opportunity. /reccos23@osen.co.kr

An Se-young Loses Korea Open to Yamaguchi