India’s Ashmita Chaliha has reached the women’s singles final of the Korea Masters Super 300 after defeating compatriot Rakshmitha Ramraj 21-13, 16-21, 21-13 in Asan, Korea. Chaliha recovered after losing the second game to take control of the decider and complete a resilient victory in the all-Indian semifinal.
The semifinal result ensures Chaliha will play for the title at the BWF World Tour Super 300 event, which concludes on Sunday. The match was played at the Asan Yi Sun-sin Gymnasium and continued a strong run for the Indian player after a demanding route through the latter stages of the tournament.
Chaliha responds after second-game setback
Chaliha made a positive start against Ramraj, winning the opening game 21-13. Ramraj responded in the second, taking it 21-16 to force a deciding game in what became a three-game contest between the two Indian singles players.
After the second-game reversal, Chaliha bounced back aggressively in the decider. She won the final game 21-13, matching her margin from the opening game and securing her place in the championship match.
The victory followed another three-game contest for Chaliha in Friday’s quarterfinals. She defeated top seed Hina Akechi of Japan 20-22, 21-15, 21-19, coming through after dropping a close first game. Her semifinal win means she has now navigated consecutive long matches in the knockout phase to reach the final.
Ramraj had also arrived in the semifinal after a gruelling quarterfinal. She beat Chinese Taipei Open champion Tanvi Sharma 18-21, 21-19, 21-18. Chaliha and Ramraj were the only Indian players remaining in the competition at the end of the quarterfinal stage, making their meeting a significant one for the Indian contingent.
Chaliha, a 26-year-old from Guwahati, Assam, will now contest the women’s singles title match. The source identified China’s Han Qianxi as her opponent for the summit clash, while also noting that Han was due to meet South Korea’s Kim Ga Ram in the other semifinal.
Korea Masters title match awaits
The Korea Masters is part of the BWF World Tour Super 300 series and carries a total prize fund of USD 250,000. The tournament was founded in 2007 and was staged as an International Challenge-level event until 2010 before becoming a BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament in 2011. It joined the BWF World Tour Super 300 level after the Grand Prix Gold event ceased in 2017.
Elsewhere in the Indian challenge, the men’s doubles pair of Pruthvi K Roy and Krishna Prasad G exited in the quarterfinals. They were beaten 21-7, 21-8 by Malaysia’s Man Wei Chong and Soh Wooi Yik.
For Chaliha, the final represents the chance to turn a run defined by back-to-back three-game wins into a title. Her 21-13, 16-21, 21-13 semifinal result against Ramraj has put her one match away from the Korea Masters Super 300 crown.
