After years of waiting, Ashmita Chaliha finally has her breakthrough moment on the BWF World Tour. The 26-year-old from Assam on Sunday produced a gritty come-from-behind win to clinch her maiden World Tour title, defeating fourth seed Han Qian Xi of China 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 in the Korea Masters Super 300 final.
Event Context
She is only the fifth Indian woman to win a Super 300 or higher title, after Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Devika Sihag and Tanvi Sharma.
Chaliha held her nerve, closed out the final four points and secured the biggest title of her career — her first BWF World Tour crown.
Chaliha had only returned to action in May after a three-month injury layoff owing to a tear in her right knee. But has since staged a strong comeback on the BWF Tour, which included a run to the semifinal at the Macau Open.
The world number 50 trains under Park Tae-Sang at the National Centre of excellence in Guwahati.
Ashmita’s win marks back-to-back BWF World Tour finals for Indians, with Tanvi Sharma having won the Taipei Open last Sunday.
More to follow…
Team Analysis
It was a victory built on resilience. Chaliha dropped the opening game and then found herself trailing 9-11 in the decider. The title seemed within touching distance, but the momentum was threatening to slip away. However, the talented left-hander took control instantly. From the far side of the court, Chaliha controlled the shuttle beautifully through the crucial endgame of the decider, just like she did in the second game, repeatedly finding winners while refusing to overplay the big moments.
