Ashmita Chaliha rallies to beat Han Qian Xi and claim VICTOR Korea Masters 2026
Ashmita Chaliha came from a game down to defeat China's Han Qian Xi in the women's singles final of the VICTOR Korea Masters 2026 on Sunday, winning 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 in 53 minutes to secure her first BWF World Tour title.
The 26-year-old from Assam fell behind after a commanding opening game by Han, the fourth seed who is ranked No. 35 in the world, but Chaliha gradually imposed more aggression and levelled the match at one game apiece.
The second game proved the turning point as Chaliha began to dictate rallies with attacking strokes, keeping Han under pressure and closing out the frame 21-14 to force a decider. "ASHMITA CHALIHA IS THE CHAMPION OF THE KOREA MASTERS 2026 #KoreaMasters2026 https://t.co/LY8zdGH73I pic.twitter.com/nZXXIWovBE" — Badminton Media (@BadmintonMedia1) August 9, 2026
The decider was competitive early, with the players exchanging points before Chaliha pulled clear after the midpoint break through a sequence of confident winners and by capitalising on Han's errors. She moved 12-11 ahead with a precise winner close to the line, then produced another excellent shot while stretching to send the shuttle just inside the court for a 15-11 margin.
Chaliha maintained momentum as the finish neared; a cross-court winner extended her lead to 19-14 and Han's subsequent return went wide to end the match at 21-14 in the third game.
The victory completed a comeback for Chaliha, who had returned to the BWF Tour in May after a three-month layoff caused by a tear in her right knee and whose recent form included a run to the semi-finals of the Macau Open. She is currently ranked No. 50 and trains under Park Tae-Sang at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati.
The Korea Masters title is the biggest achievement of Chaliha's comeback and adds to a strong period for Indian women's singles on the BWF World Tour: Ashmita's triumph came a week after Tanvi Sharma won the Taipei Open, giving India back-to-back women's singles titles on the tour.