Ashmita Chaliha won the Korea Masters women’s singles title on Sunday, beating China’s fourth-seeded Han Qian Xi 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 in 53 minutes to claim her maiden BWF World Tour crown. The 26-year-old Indian recovered after losing the opening game and completed the biggest title victory of her career.
The result is a major milestone for Chaliha, who was ranked No. 50 before the tournament and is set to enter the world’s top 40 for the first time. It also made her the first Indian player to win the Korea Masters.
Chaliha recovers after difficult opening game
Chaliha made a positive start to the final and led 9-5 in the first game, but she could not sustain that advantage as Han moved ahead to take it 21-14. Chaliha said the drift conditions made the opening game difficult to manage.
“First set was a little bit tricky because of the drift conditions, so I wasn’t able to manage it,” Chaliha said in a video by Olympics.com. “But then the second set, the other side is more comfortable, and it’s a little bit less drift. So I was able to control it.”
She responded decisively in the second game, winning 21-14 to level the match. Chaliha then carried that momentum into the decider, again taking the game 21-14 to seal the title.
The change of ends remained an important factor in the deciding game. Chaliha explained that after the players switched sides following 11 points in the third game, she was back on the side she considered more favourable. “In the third set, when I changed again after 11 points, I was on the good side…so I’m glad that I could pull off,” she said.
A landmark run in Asan
Chaliha’s title run included several significant victories. She opened her campaign with a straight-game win over qualifier Ririna Hiramoto, then defeated Kim Min Ji. In the quarterfinals, she overcame top seed Hina Akechi 20-22, 21-15, 21-19.
That comeback against Akechi sent Chaliha into the semifinals, where she beat fellow Indian Rakshita Sree Santhosh Ramraj to reach her first BWF World Tour final. The victory over Han completed a run in which she defeated a top seed, a compatriot and the fourth seed in the final.
The Korea Masters success follows a strong return to competition after Chaliha’s three-month injury layoff ended in May. In her first two tournaments back, she reached the quarterfinals at the China Masters and Malaysia Masters. She then advanced to the Macau Open semifinals in June before delivering her title-winning week in Asan.
“Hungry for more” after first World Tour crown
Chaliha said she was still processing the significance of her breakthrough. “I feel really great; it’s unbelievable. I’m still trying to digest it,” she said after the final.
On learning that the victory would move her towards the top 40, Chaliha thanked supporters and made clear that she wants to build on the achievement. “I didn’t know this. I feel blessed; thank you to everyone back home for supporting me. I’m hungry for more!” she said.
She also credited coach Park Tae-Sang for helping her through the tournament. “All the credit goes to coach Park. Without him, I wouldn’t have been this much energetic,” Chaliha said.
Chaliha’s victory adds to India’s BWF World Tour success this season after Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the men’s doubles title at the Singapore Badminton Open in May.
