Rakshitha Sree Ramraj beats Tanvi Sharma in Korea Masters quarter-finals to reach semis

Rakshitha Sree Ramraj defeated Tanvi Sharma in the women's singles quarter-final of the Korea Masters Super 300 in South Chungcheong Province on Friday, August 7, to advance to the semi-finals. The 19-year-old recovered from a game down to win and set up a last-four meeting with compatriot Ashmita Chaliha.

Rakshitha, 19, fought back after losing the first game and extended her head-to-head record against Tanvi to 4-0. Tanvi arrived in Korea in strong form as World No. 30 after claiming her maiden Super 300 title in Taipei the previous week, while Rakshitha had won the Vietnam International Challenge in March. All three Indian shuttlers who have impressed in Korea will not be part of the BWF World Championships, which begin on August 17 in New Delhi.

The quarter-final lasted one hour and one minute, with Rakshitha overturning the opening-game deficit to prevail 18-21, 21-18, 21-19. The victory was described in coverage as one of the biggest wins of her season and moved her into the tournament's final four.

In the opening game Rakshitha moved quickly to a 13-8 lead before Tanvi recovered by taking eight of the next nine points, transforming an 8-13 deficit into a 16-14 advantage and closing out the game 21-18. That swing set the match's momentum before Rakshitha adjusted her tactics in the subsequent games.

The second game remained tight; Rakshitha led by two at the interval and manufactured two game points after Tanvi hit the net. Rakshitha failed to convert the first but sealed the second when Tanvi sent a return wide, forcing a deciding third game.

The decider followed a similar pattern, with Rakshitha carrying a two-point edge into the interval and the scores locked at 14-14. Tanvi then committed three unforced errors that handed Rakshitha a 19-16 lead, and an errant cross-court smash created four match points before Rakshitha closed out the win when Tanvi hit the net again.

Ashmita Chaliha, ranked World No. 50, also progressed after a gruelling quarter-final that lasted more than an hour, beating World No. 22 Hina Akechi of Japan 20-22, 21-15, 21-19.

Rakshitha and Ashmita will meet in the semi-finals; the winner is likely to face fourth seed Han Qian Xi of China or unseeded Kim Ga Ram of South Korea in the final.