Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Ashmita Chaliha produced a superb comeback to win the VICTOR Korea Masters 2026, beating China’s Han Qian Xi in the women’s singles final on Sunday. The Assam shuttler recovered from losing the opening game to prevail 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 in 53 minutes and claim her maiden BWF World Tour title.
The 26-year-old had to overcome a difficult start against fourth seed Han, ranked No. 35 in the world, who controlled the opening game and moved into an early advantage. Ashmita gradually found her rhythm, however, and responded with greater aggression to level the contest at one game apiece.
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The second game proved to be the turning point as Ashmita began to dictate more rallies with her attacking strokes. She kept Han under pressure and closed out the game 21-14 to take the final into a decider.
The third game remained competitive in its early stages, with the two players exchanging points. Ashmita then began to pull away after the midpoint break, producing a series of confident winners and making the most of Han’s errors to take control of the match.
FIRST SUPER 300 TITLE FOR CHALIHA
Ashmita eventually moved 12-11 ahead with a precise winner close to the line before producing another excellent shot while stretching to send the shuttle just inside the court for a 15-11 advantage.
The Indian maintained that momentum as the finish approached. A cross-court winner took her lead to 19-14 before Han sent her next return wide, bringing the contest to an end.
The 21-14 scoreline in the decider completed a memorable comeback for Ashmita, who had entered the tournament looking to build momentum after an extended spell away from competition.
She had returned to the BWF Tour in May following a three-month layoff caused by a tear in her right knee. Since then, the 26-year-old has steadily rebuilt her form, including a run to the semi-finals of the Macau Open.
Ashmita, currently ranked No. 50 in the world, trains under Park Tae-Sang at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati. Her Korea Masters victory now becomes the biggest achievement of her comeback.
The title also continues a strong run for Indian women’s singles players on the BWF World Tour. Ashmita’s triumph comes just a week after Tanvi Sharma won the Taipei Open, giving India back-to-back women’s singles titles on the tour.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
