(LEAD) (Asiad) Defending champion S. Korea reaches semifinals in women's badminton team event
NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- Led by world No. 1 An Se-young, defending champion South Korea advanced to the semifinals of the women's badminton team event at the Asian Games on Tuesday.
South Korea defeated Malaysia 3-1, after two singles and two doubles matches at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Ichinomiya, just northwest of the main host city, Nagoya, Japan.
An, the reigning Olympic and world champion in the women's singles, led things off by beating Letshanaa Karupathevan 2-0 (21-12, 21-8).
An Se-young of South Korea hits a return to Letshanaa Karupathevan of Malaysia during their singles match of the women's badminton team event quarterfinals at the Asian Games at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Ichinomiya, Japan, on Sept. 22, 2026. (Yonhap)
In the next doubles match, though, world No. 2 tandem of Lee So-hee and Baek Hana lost to fifth-ranked team, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan by 2-0 (22-20, 21-17).
But South Korea won the next two matches to grab its ticket to the semifinals.
Kim Ga-eun took care of Wong Ling Ching 2-0 (21-12, 21-18), before Jeong Na-eun and Kim Hye-jeong beat Cheng Su Yin and Low Zi Yu 2-1 (18-21, 21-11, 24-22).
An said afterward she enjoys the team event because she is surrounded by supportive teammates on the court -- something she never gets to enjoy during singles matches.
"It is fun to hear my teammates cheer me on and this setting gets me fired up even more," she said. "I am just happy I was able to help the team. Since it is early in the tournament, I felt some nerves. I want to shake off fears of failure and play the way I want to play out there."
Up next will be Japan in the semifinals scheduled for Wednesday morning. The Japanese team features Akane Yamaguchi, a longtime rival of An ranked world No. 3 in the women's singles.
Later Tuesday, the South Korean men's team lost to China 3-2 in the quarterfinals.
Yoo Tae-bin dropped his opening singles match against Shi Yuqi 2-1 (13-21, 21-19, 21-12). In the next doubles, Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae, the world No. 1 duo, defeated Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang 2-0 (21-12, 21-12) to even up the team score at 1-1.
Jeon Hyeok-jin then won the singles match against Li Shifeng by 2-1 (12-21, 21-17, 21-16) for a 2-1 lead for South Korea.
China answered back by winning the next doubles match, with He Ji Ting and Liu Yi edging out Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju 2-1 (21-15, 14-21, 21-11).
That set up the deciding singles battle, and Weng Hongyang beat Choi Ji-hoon 2-0 (21-17, 21-15) to complete China's comeback.
Baek Hana (L) and Lee So-hee of South Korea play Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan of Malaysia during their doubles match of the women's badminton team event quarterfinals at the Asian Games at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Ichinomiya, Japan, on Sept. 22, 2026. (Yonhap)
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