More Yamaguchi knows, harder An Se-young becomes to beat — Inside the thrilling Korea Open 2026 final

Akane Yamaguchi had beaten An Se-young in the Korea Open 2025 final, but in their summit clash in the 2026 edition, it was the South Korean who had the last laugh.

Updated : Nov 08, 2026 14:52 IST , Chennai - 4 MINS READ

An Se-young prevailed 21-12, 15-21, 21-16, claiming her 11th title of the season and extending her remarkable winning run, at the Korea Open 2026. | Photo Credit: AP

The walls of Jinnam Stadium in Yeosu, South Korea, echoed with chants of ‘An Se-young, An Se-young’. The home crowd had come expecting a victory, and its favourite had every reason to believe she could deliver one. The World No. 1 had swept through the 2026 Korea Open without dropping a game, arriving at Sunday’s final against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi with an extraordinary winning streak intact.

But Yamaguchi was hardly an opponent to be overwhelmed by the occasion or the numbers. She had beaten Se-young in last year’s final, and their 40th meeting carried the tension of a rivalry in which familiarity rarely guaranteed predictability. Se-young’s 25 wins over the Japanese should have offered reassurance, but Yamaguchi knew better than most how to disrupt the South Korean’s rhythm.

For Se-young, the final was about more than reclaiming a title on home soil. There was also the prospect of extending a remarkable run of 55 consecutive victories.

She had played 72 matches during the 2026 season, winning all but one. At a level where even the smallest dip in concentration can prove costly, sustaining such consistency is perhaps as formidable a challenge as reaching the summit in the first place.

Yamaguchi (left) had made her work for it, taking a game off Se-young and pushing her into a decider. But that, perhaps, was what made the South Korean’s victory more significant. | Photo Credit: AP

The opening game offered a glimpse of the tactical contest that lay ahead. Se-young moved away from her familiar pattern of concentrating her shots towards the right-hand side of the backcourt, instead alternating between corners and cross-court angles to make Yamaguchi cover more ground.

But the former World No. 1 was prepared. Her blocks and sharp returns forced Se-young to cover just as much ground, occasionally leaving the home favourite struggling to recover.

The South Korean nevertheless found her rhythm as the game progressed. Leading 11-9 at the interval, she began to dictate the exchanges, stretching her advantage to four points before closing out the game 21-12. Yamaguchi managed just three points after the break, a reflection of how effectively Se-young had taken control.

Blockbuster final as An Se Young 🇰🇷 rivals Akane Yamaguchi 🇯🇵. #BWFWorldTour #KoreaOpen2026 https://t.co/Lo5WWCggEF

— BWF (@bwfmedia) November 8, 2026

The second game, however, was a reminder of why Yamaguchi remains one of the few players capable of challenging her consistently. She maintained a comfortable lead by varying the direction of her attacks, first drawing Se-young towards one side of the backcourt before switching corners. It was a familiar tactic, one that Se-young herself often employs, but Yamaguchi executed it with enough precision to keep her opponent guessing.

An’s clears did little to trouble Yamaguchi, whose powerful around-the-head shots kept the South Korean on the move. A handful of An’s attacking attempts drifted beyond the lines as Yamaguchi took the game 21-15, ending her opponent’s run of straight-game victories in the tournament.

The decider brought the stakes into sharper focus. For An, it was not simply about winning the Korea Open in front of her home crowd, but also about keeping her remarkable winning streak alive.

For Yamaguchi, a third Korea Open crown would underline her enduring pedigree, while also bringing her a fourth title of the season.

There were signs that the contest was beginning to take its toll. Se-young was repeatedly seen bending over to catch her breath, while Yamaguchi’s returns increasingly found the net or sailed beyond the lines, allowing the South Korean to establish an advantage. At the interval, Se-young led 11-9, the same scoreline at which she had been ahead in the opening game.

Yet even as the rallies demanded more of her, Se-young continued to produce moments of extraordinary athleticism. A mid-court return was converted into a jump smash, an illustration of the power and precision that have made her so difficult to dislodge from the top of the women’s game.

For Se-young, the final was about more than reclaiming a title on home soil. There was also the prospect of extending a remarkable run of 55 consecutive victories. | Photo Credit: AP

Yamaguchi continued to push, but Se-young held her nerve when it mattered. The championship point arrived when Yamaguchi’s return sailed beyond the back boundary. Se-young let her racquet slip from her hand as the realisation of victory set in.

The South Korean had prevailed 21-12, 15-21, 21-16, claiming her 11th title of the season and extending her remarkable winning run.

For all the noise inside Jinnam Stadium, this was not quite the straightforward homecoming many had anticipated. Yamaguchi had made her work for it, taking a game off her and pushing her into a decider. But that, perhaps, was what made the victory more significant. Se-young had once again found a way to win, even when the familiar route to victory was no longer available.

Published on Nov 08, 2026

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