India Open 2026: An Se-young, Wang Zhiyi march on while Vitidsarn exits after shock quarter-final loss

The spotlight remained firmly on South Korea’s An Se-young during her quarterfinal clash against Putri Kusuma Wardani. Although the match ended in a dominant 2-0 victory (21-16, 21-8), the opening minutes suggested a potential upset. 

Wardani started aggressively, catching An off-guard to race to a 5-0 lead. However, the top seed remained composed, gradually widening her defensive coverage to force errors from her opponent. The turning point arrived at 11-11, where An Se-young’s tactical precision took over. She showcased her "World No. 1 rhythm," stifling Wardani’s offense and closing out the first game in 19 minutes.

In the second game, An Se-young took complete control of the court. Despite trailing 0-3 early on, her superior reaction speed and net pressure allowed her to dictate the tempo. She utilized wide placements and decisive smashes to demoralize the Indonesian challenger. From a 9-6 lead, the flow became entirely one-sided as An raced to a 21-8 finish. 

This victory capped an impressive run in New Delhi, where she previously dispatched Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara and Taiwan’s Hwang Yu-xun with ease, proving her "completeness" as she pursues a second consecutive title.

While An Se-young cruised, World No. 2 Wang Zhiyi had to dig deeper to overcome Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira. In the opening set, Nidaira’s relentless stamina and powerful returns caught the Chinese star by surprise. The two engaged in grueling rallies, with Nidaira eventually clinching a narrow 22-20 win. 

However, that sparked a fierce response from Wang. As Nidaira’s energy levels plummeted following the intense first game, Wang utilized her superior experience to dominate the remainder of the match. She surged through the next two games with scores of 21-13 and 21-9, joining An Se-young in the final four.

In contrast to the stability of the women’s singles, the men’s draw witnessed a major shock. Top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn, coming off a major title in Malaysia, saw his campaign end abruptly. 

He fell to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, the World No. 10, in a tense three-game thriller. Despite winning the opening game 21-14, Vitidsarn could not withstand Loh’s explosive speed, losing the subsequent games 15-21 and 17-21.

This exit marks a missed opportunity for the Thai star to capitalize on the absence of his rival, Shi Yuqi, who withdrew due to injury.