** World No. 1 An Se-young has reached the Korea Open final, extending her winning streak to 54 matches and moving within one victory of an 11th title this season. The South Korean beat Japan's Hina Akechi 2-0 (21-16, 21-12) in the women's singles semifinals at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu on Saturday.

An has not lost since the All England Open final in March, when she was beaten by China's Wang Zhiyi. Her season record is now 70 wins and one defeat. She has already lifted 10 trophies this season, including the French Open.

A record-equalling 11th title in sight

Victory in the final would give An 11 titles in a season for the second consecutive year, matching the single-season record set by Japan's Kento Momota in men's singles in 2019. It would also be her third Korea Open title, after wins in 2022 and 2023.

Her final opponent is world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, the defending champion, who beat Taiwan's Lin Xiang-ti 21-16, 21-12 in the other semifinal on Saturday. The final is the standout match of the BWF World Tour Super 500 event.

37 minutes to reach the semifinals

An's path to the final has been ruthless. In Friday's quarterfinal she needed just 37 minutes to beat Japan's Riko Gunji 21-7, 21-13, a win that took her streak to 53 matches. Akechi beat compatriot Tomoka Miyazaki in three games to reach the semifinal.

Speaking after the win over Gunji, An said she still felt nervous in front of her home fans. "I do still get nervous. A lot of fans come to see me so I always want to do my best for them. I take each match at a time," she told the BWF.