World No. 2 badminton women's doubles pair Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na (Incheon International Airport) defeated Japan to advance to the final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
On September 28, at the Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Lee and Baek triumphed over Japan's Nakanishi Kie and Uesaka Rin (world No. 7) with a score of 2-0 (21-13, 21-12) in the semifinals.
With this victory, Lee and Baek secured their place in the final for the second consecutive tournament, following their silver medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, ensuring at least another silver medal.
The Nakanishi-Uesaka pair had previously defeated Korea's Kim Hye-jung (Samsung Life) and Jeong Na-eun (Hwasun County Office) in the women's team semifinals on September 23, handing Korea a 3-1 loss.
In the first game, Lee and Baek were locked in a close contest, leading by just 1-2 points early on. However, at a 7-7 tie, they scored five consecutive points to pull ahead 12-7. They maintained their lead with solid defense and sharp attacks, winning the first game 21-13.
In the second game, Lee and Baek continued their momentum, extending their lead from 8-7 to 16-7 with another eight consecutive points, ultimately finishing the match at 21-12.
In the final, Lee and Baek will face the world No. 1 pair from China, Liu Shengsu and Tan Ning.
Historically, Lee and Baek trail Liu and Tan in their head-to-head record, with 7 wins and 11 losses. However, they recently defeated the Chinese duo in the final of the World Championships in August, winning 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) and marking Korea's first women's doubles title in 31 years.
The last time a Korean pair won gold in women's doubles at the Asian Games was in 2002, when Ra Kyung-min and Lee Kyung-won triumphed in Busan. If Lee and Baek can secure a victory against the Chinese pair, it would mark Korea's first gold medal in women's doubles at the Asian Games in 24 years.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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