Badminton Asia Championships 2024: World No. 1 An Se-young knocked out in quarterfinals

China’s Shi Yuqi, the men’s top seed, reached the semifinals with a 22-20, 21-13 defeat of Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

China’s He Bingjiao celebrates after beating Korea’s An Se-young in the quarterfinals of 2024 BAC Badminton Asia Championships at Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre on Friday in Ningbo, China. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

World number one An Se-young was dumped out in the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Championships on Friday as the South Korean went down in straight games to China’s He Bingjiao.

With the home crowd in the Chinese city of Ningbo behind her, the sixth-ranked He triumphed 21-17, 21-18 to reach the last four.

An, the top seed in Ningbo, will be favourite to win gold at this summer’s Paris Olympics but she has been struggling with a knee injury.

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There was no such trouble for China’s Shi Yuqi, the men’s top seed, who reached the semifinals with a 22-20, 21-13 defeat of Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

The prestigious annual tournament is the final chance for Asian players to seal a spot at the Olympics.