Ashmita Chaliha beats Han Qian Xi to claim first BWF World Tour title at Korea Masters
Ashmita Chaliha of India defeated fourth seed Han Qian Xi of China 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 to capture the women's singles crown at the Korea Masters Super 300 in Asan on Sunday (August 9, 2026). The match lasted 53 minutes and delivered Chaliha her first BWF World Tour title.
The 26-year-old from Assam overcame a slow start and a testing decider to complete the victory, outlasting a higher-seeded opponent who is ranked world No. 35. Ashmita's triumph followed Tanvi Sharma's Taipei Open win last Sunday (August 2), marking back-to-back BWF World Tour finals for Indians.
In the opening game, Ashmita began 3-0 and reached 9-5 early, but Han fought back to level at 11-11 before producing a run of points to close out the first game 21-14.
Chaliha reversed the momentum in the second game by increasing her attacking intent, using smashes to press Han and deploying sharp defensive returns to break the scoreline after 6-6. She led 11-8 at the interval, extended the advantage to 17-10 and sealed the game 21-14 with a powerful attacking shot to force a decider.
The deciding game was tight initially; Ashmita moved to 5-2 before Han led 11-9 at the mid-game break. Chaliha then edged in front 12-11 with a precise winner and stretched low to play a shot that made it 15-11.
Ashmita continued to target gaps in Han's court, converting a cross-court winner to move 19-14. Han's next return went wide, handing Ashmita the championship point and ultimately the title.
Chaliha had earlier undergone surgery and an extensive rehabilitation period after suffering a medial meniscus tear in her right knee during the Korea Open in 2024. She returned in February next year and played 14 events; this year she competed in a couple of events before spending three months building strength to handle a full elite BWF calendar load.
She enjoyed a strong run on her comeback with back-to-back quarterfinal finishes at the China Masters and Malaysia Masters, followed by a semifinal appearance at the Macau Open.
The world number 50 trains under Park Tae-Sang at the National Centre of excellence in Guwahati.
