An Se-young Reaches Denmark Open Final, Closing In on Ninth Title of 2026

South Korean badminton star An Se-young advanced to the women’s singles final at the Denmark Open on Saturday, moving within one victory of her ninth tournament title of the 2026 season.

An defeated Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara 21-16, 21-8 in the semifinals of the Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 750 event. The straight-games result put the reigning world champion into Sunday’s title match against another Japanese opponent, Akane Yamaguchi. The final is scheduled to begin at 7:50 p.m. Sunday in Seoul.

The matchup gives An an opportunity to extend a dominant recent run against Yamaguchi. She has won their past nine head-to-head meetings, a streak that includes a straight-games victory in the women’s singles final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September. That recent record will make An the favorite, although the final still brings together two leading players on the international circuit.

An’s semifinal victory also lifted her season record to 60 wins and one loss in 61 matches, equivalent to a 98.4 percent winning rate. The figures underline the consistency that has defined her 2026 campaign across major events. A victory in Denmark would give her a ninth title this year and add another trophy to a season already marked by sustained success.

Okuhara kept the opening game competitive, but An secured it 21-16 before taking firmer control in the second. Her 21-8 score in the next game completed the 2-0 victory and allowed her to advance without being pushed to a deciding game.

The Denmark Open is classified as a Super 750 tournament on the BWF World Tour, placing it among the circuit’s higher-tier events. An’s progress to the final therefore extends her strong form at a significant international competition late in the season.

South Korea’s campaign also included the world No. 1 men’s doubles team of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho. Their run ended in the semifinals with a loss to Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, leaving An as the leading South Korean title contender heading into Sunday’s finals.

For An, the final presents a clear pair of milestones: another victory over Yamaguchi and a ninth championship of the year. It also offers a chance to carry her exceptional win-loss record through another high-level final.