Guwahati: Indian shuttler Ashmita Chaliha clinched the biggest title of her career on August 9, defeating China’s Han Qianxi 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 in the women’s singles final of the Korea Masters.
The 26-year-old recovered from losing the opening game to produce a strong comeback and secure her maiden BWF World Tour crown.
Chaliha’s victory also saw her become only the fifth Indian woman to win a BWF World Tour Super 300 or higher-level title.
The final began on an even note, with Chaliha and Han locked at 11-11 in the opening game. Han then gained momentum and pulled away to take the game 21-14.
Chaliha responded strongly in the second game, combining aggressive attacking play with solid defence to move into an 11-8 lead at the interval.
The Indian continued to dictate the rallies after the break, extending her advantage to 17-10 before closing out the game 21-14 with a powerful smash.
The decider was closely fought in the early stages, with Han leading 11-9 at the interval. Chaliha then raised the intensity, using accurate winners to exploit gaps in her opponent’s defence.
She moved ahead 12-11 and soon stretched her lead to 15-11. Chaliha maintained control in the closing stages, reaching 19-14 with a well-executed cross-court winner.
Han’s return went wide on the next rally, handing Chaliha the championship point and confirming her first BWF World Tour title.
With the triumph, Chaliha joined an elite group of Indian women who have won BWF World Tour Super 300 or higher-level titles, alongside Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Devika Sihag and Tanvi Sharma.