An Seyoung Looks to Bolster Attack
Despite coming of age at the senior level some four years ago, Korean badminton’s biggest name has played exactly one match in the country’s premier tournament.
· DEV SUKUMAR
That’s because, after An Seyoung lost in the first round at the Korea Open 2019, the event’s next two editions were shelved due to the global pandemic.
When the Korea Open Badminton Championships 2022 begins on 5 April, there will be a lot of attention on the home favourite as she begins her campaign heading the bottom half of the draw. Not only has she hit stride as a top-notch player, she has already eclipsed the achievements of her idol Sung Ji Hyun in becoming Korea’s most accomplished women’s singles star since Bang Soo Hyun in the 1990s.
And while her experience of the Korea Open is limited to one match, she can take heart from the Gwangju Korea Masters the same year, when she took the title over a strong field, beating the likes of Aya Ohori, Wang Zhi Yi, Akane Yamaguchi and Sung Jihyun.