South Korean An Se-young makes winning start at badminton’s China Open
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South Korea’s An Se-young hits a return to Canada’s Michelle Li in the women’s singles at the China Open badminton tournament in Changzhou, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, on July 23, 2025.
PHOTO: AFP
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CHANGZHOU, China – South Korean women's top seed An Se-young got her China Open badminton campaign off to a winning start, after recovering from a first-game wobble to beat Canadian Michelle Li 13-21, 21-3, 21-10 in the Chinese city of Changzhou on July 23.
The 23-year-old Paris Olympic singles champion will face countrywoman Sim Yu-jin in the next round.
Women’s defending champion and Chinese second seed Wang Zhiyi beat Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-16, 21-9, setting up a second-round clash with Japan’s Riko Gunji, who overcame American Zhang Beiwen 19-21, 21-10, 21-13.
Japanese women’s third seed Akane Yamaguchi also progressed, after carving out a comfortable 21-12, 21-9 victory over Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt.
Sixth seed Tomoka Miyazaki was the biggest upset of the day in the women’s draw, as the 18-year-old Japanese went down fighting against India’s P.V. Sindhu, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro singles silver medallist, 21-15, 8-21, 21-17.
“She’s doing well and she’s been doing well for quite some time now. It was important for me to win these matches so that it will also give me a morale boost and also that confidence,” the 30-year-old said.
“Sometimes I’ve been going three games, I’ve been coming close, yet I’ve been losing. So, I think it was a good win for me and I need to continue this tempo and keep going ... Even though she’s young, she’s doing well and she’s at the top at the moment.”
Sindhu will face 17-year-old compatriot Unnati Hooda in the next round.
Thai women’s seventh seed Pornpawee Chochuwong progressed to the second round as Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Pin-Chian retired while the former was leading the contest 20-22, 21-19, 11-5. Pornpawee faces Sung Shuo-yun next, who is also from Taiwan.
In the men’s draw, Danish second seed Anders Antonsen made light work of Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 21-19, 21-15.
Chinese men’s third seed Shi Yuqi secured a comfortable 21-16, 21-11 over compatriot Weng Hongyang.
Indonesian men’s fourth seed Jonatan Christie also stormed into the next round after ousting Singapore’s Jason Teh 21-17, 21-12, while eighth seed Alex Lanier was bundled out by fellow Frenchman Toma Junior Popov 22-20, 13-21, 21-17.
In the mixed doubles, Singapore pair Terry Hee and Jin Yujia were thumped by Thailand’s fifth seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran 21-12, 21-11 in just 25 minutes. REUTERS
