Text by BWF |
World No.15 Lauren Lam/Allison Quynh Lee continued their march towards a historic breakthrough on Friday, reaching the semifinal of the YEOSU VICTOR Korea Open 2026 with a 21-19 21-10 win over Gabriela Stoeva/Stefani Stoeva.
The result marks the Americans’ third Super 500 semifinal of the season, adding to a campaign that has also featured a Super 300 semifinal and established them as genuine contenders on the HSBC BWF World Tour.
For a pair seeking to become the first American women’s doubles partnership to win a World Tour title, Yeosu represents another significant step forward. It also comes at an important time for American badminton, with the countdown already under way to the opening of the qualification period for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games next year. With badminton preparing for a rare moment in the spotlight on home soil, Lam/Lee’s continued rise is providing further evidence that the United States can field genuine contenders when qualification begins.
The quarterfinal presented a unique challenge. Across the net stood not only accomplished opponents but close friends and long-time idols.
“It was a fight of the nerves,” Lee told BWF.
Having spent countless hours together on and off court, both pairs entered the quarterfinals with a deep understanding of each other’s strengths and tendencies.
“We were trying to gauge the game.”
The opening game reflected that familiarity, with neither side able to establish control. Lam/Lee eventually edged ahead at the crucial moments before taking command in the second game to complete a convincing victory.
Lam admitted the emotional aspect of the contest was more difficult before the first shuttle was struck than during the match itself.
“When it was love-all, I was just kind of focused and locked in,” she said. “That feeling just naturally went away.”
The Americans’ rise has not happened overnight. Competing as independent players, they shared the significant sacrifices in pursuit of their ambitions on tour.
“We put everything into this,” Lee said. “We put school on hold. We put on hold on a lot of things, like friendships back at home. We still keep in contact, but obviously we can’t see them all the time, so a lot of sacrifices are put into this, so it does feel really good.”
Their success has also coincided with growing momentum for American badminton across several disciplines.
“I’m really happy that we’re all kind of raising the bar,” Lam said.
Despite another career milestone, neither player is looking beyond the next match.
“We just want to perform well, and then everything else will follow,” Lee said.
That approach has already carried Lam/Lee to another semifinal. Now, with their consistency at Super 500 level becoming impossible to ignore, the prospect of a first World Tour title no longer feels like a distant ambition but an increasingly realistic goal.
They will play Rui Hirokami/Sayaka Hobara for the first time in the semifinals.
