Korean badminton soared at LI-NING China Masters 2025 as An Se Young and dynamic duo Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae clinched their seventh title of the season, stamping their dominance on the global stage.

An, one of two reigning champions returning to the title bout, entered the court with quiet fire. Her last encounter with Han Yue had ended in injury, but this time, she left no room for doubt. With a blistering 21-11 21-3 victory, An extended her flawless record in finals this campaign.

“I was unsure I could win,” she admitted. “Han was outstanding at the start but I told myself to try harder, move faster and not miss an opportunity. That made all the difference.”

Her efforts to transform her playing style – drawing inspiration from men’s singles players – have at times been a source of frustration but now fuel her ambition to surpass her personal best of 10 individual titles in 2023.

“My confidence is definitely increasing and I’m gradually improving,” said the Olympic gold medallist. “It would be great if I can achieve better results and set a new record. For now, I just want to play my style of badminton and make every necessary change. This is my priority.”

Meanwhile, having aced six of their eight finals before today, Kim and Seo delivered a masterclass in consistency and composure against formidable Indians Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to win 21-19 21-15. Seo, who also triumphed last year with Jin Yong, celebrates back-to-back glory with Kim.

“We treated every match like a final,” Kim reflected. “That mindset brought us here.”

Seven titles in a season that promises more as 2025 enters its final quarter. With the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals drawing closer, Korean badminton has made a statement. For An, Kim and Seo, this was a moment of seventh heaven.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

• Kim Hye Jeong/Kong Hee Yong could not make it a Korean hattrick, falling 19-21 21-16 13-21 to Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian in the Chinese pair’s final tournament together. Jia reunites with Chen Qing Chen at next week’s Korea Open.
• Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Supissara Paewsampran go into history books as the first non-local mixed doubles champions in the tournament’s 20-year history.
• Weng Hong Yang defeated Lin Chun-Yi 21-11 21-15 to emerge the event’s first Chinese men’s singles winner in the HSBC BWF World Tour era.

→ Results (Finals)