India Open 2026: An Se-young, Wang Zhiyi power into quarter-finals

In the women's singles category, world number 1 An Se-young continued her unstoppable form. Facing Huang Yu-hsun for the first time in her career, the South Korean star entered the court with high confidence following a series of impressive victories early this year. 

Despite the unfamiliarity of her opponent’s style, An Se-young utilized her superior tactical awareness to neutralize every return from the Taiwanese player.

The opening game saw Huang Yu-hsun impress the crowd with a resilient defensive display. Her ability to keep the shuttle in play allowed her to score 14 points, putting up a respectable fight. 

However, the sheer precision and sharpness of An Se-young’s decisive smashes proved to be the differentiating factor. In the second game, the intensity took a toll on Huang as her physical stamina began to fade. 

Facing relentless pressure, she committed several unforced errors, leading to a swift collapse. An Se-young wrapped up the match in just 31 minutes with a scoreline of 21-14, 21-9, officially punching her ticket to the quarter-finals.

Shortly after, world number 2 Wang Zhiyi also secured her place among the final eight, though she faced a much stiffer challenge from Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Linh. 

The match began with Wang asserting dominance, surging to a 16-5 lead in the first game. Thuy Linh, known for her fighting spirit, refused to back down and narrowed the gap to 12-19 through impressive net play before losing 12-21.

The second game provided the highlight of the day as Thuy Linh seemingly transformed, leading 11-8 at the interval and later extending her advantage to 16-10. The Vietnamese star appeared on the verge of forcing a decider, but Wang Zhiyi’s experience and tactical adjustments from her coaching staff proved decisive. 

The Chinese star produced a stunning run, scoring 11 of the final 12 points to overturn the deficit and win 21-17. Despite the loss, Thuy Linh’s spirited performance earned significant respect from the audience.

In the men’s singles draw, Kunlavut Vitidsarn maintained his momentum by defeating Lu Guang Zu in 42 minutes. The Thai sensation controlled the tempo throughout the match, securing a 21-14, 21-16 victory. 

Following his recent success at the Malaysian Open, Kunlavut is now regarded as the primary favorite for the India Open title, especially after world number 1 Shi Yuqi was forced to withdraw due to a recurring back injury.