Badminton’s Ahn Se-young has failed to win an international tournament for the first time this year.
The world number one was defeated 0-2 (12-21 16-21) by China’s Wang Zhiyi, ranked 12th in the world, in the round of 16 at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 750 China Masters in Shenzhen, China on Wednesday.
This is the first time this year that Ahn has failed to reach the semifinals of an international event.
Previously, Ahn had reached the quarterfinals in all 15 tournaments she competed in this year, winning 10 titles, finishing runner-up three times and third twice.
She has not fully recovered from the right knee injury she sustained in the final of the Hangzhou Asian Games (AG) last month.
She spent about 40 days rehabilitating and resting after the injury, so her on-court game and stamina have suffered.
In this match, Ahn’s smashes and hairpins often hit the net, and her trademark wide defensive range was reduced.
“(Initially) last week’s Japan Masters and this tournament were to check how much she has rehabilitated and whether she has any pain,” Kim Hak-gyun, the national team’s head coach, told Yonhap News Agency, adding, “She hasn’t done any technical training yet.”
“The pain is still a little bit there. I will discuss with my coaches and trainers whether I need more rehabilitation or more training.” 슬롯게이밍