India's Ashmita Chaliha scripted a memorable comeback to win her maiden BWF World Tour title after defeating fourth seed Han Qian Xi of China in the women's singles final of the Korea Masters on Sunday.
The 26-year-old shuttler from Guwahati recovered from the loss of the opening game to register a commanding 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 victory in a thrilling 53-minute contest. The win marks the biggest title of Chaliha's career and adds another milestone to Indian badminton's growing success on the international circuit.
Ranked World No. 50, Chaliha faced a difficult challenge in the deciding game as she trailed 9-11 at the mid-game interval. However, she capitalised on favourable court conditions and the drift to stage an impressive comeback. Displaying composure and attacking intent, she won 12 of the final 15 points to complete the turnaround and secure the championship.
Chaliha's journey to the title included several impressive victories against quality opponents. In the quarterfinals, she stunned top seed Hina Akechi of Japan before defeating fellow Indian Rakshita Ramraj in a hard-fought semifinal. She then capped off her campaign with a dominant comeback win over China's Han Qian Xi in the final.
The title also highlights Chaliha's successful return from injury. Earlier this year, she was sidelined for three months before making her comeback in May. Since returning to competition, she has consistently produced strong performances, reaching the quarterfinals of the China Masters and the Malaysia Masters before advancing to the semifinals of the Macau Open in June.
Chaliha trains under former South Korean international coach Park Tae-sang at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati. Her Korea Masters triumph also ensures back-to-back women's singles titles for India on the BWF World Tour following Tanvi Sharma's victory at the Taipei Open last week.
With the Korea Masters crown, Ashmita Chaliha joins an elite group of Indian women's singles players to have won a BWF World Tour title, alongside Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu, Devika Sihag and Tanvi Sharma, further strengthening India's presence in international badminton.
