Ashmita Chaliha Reaches Maiden BWF Final at Korea Masters

India's Ashmita Chaliha booked her place in the final of the Korea Masters 2026 on Saturday, beating fellow Indian Rakshitha Ramraj in an all-Indian women's singles semifinal to reach her first-ever BWF World Tour final.

A Hard-Fought Semifinal

World No. 50 Chaliha got the better of World No. 49 Ramraj 21-13, 16-21, 21-13 in a contest that lasted 48 minutes at the Asan Yi Sun-sin Gymnasium in South Korea. Chaliha started fast, building an 11-6 lead at the mid-game interval of the opening set before closing it out comfortably. Ramraj hit back in the second game, opening up her own 11-6 cushion and holding off Chaliha's fightback to force a decider.

The Guwahati-born player then took control in the decisive third game, racing away to an 11-3 lead on the back of a six-point streak, and never let Ramraj back into the contest, sealing her spot in the final on the back of a composed closing stretch.

First Tour Final of Her Career

The win marks a career milestone for Chaliha: it is the first time she has reached the final of a BWF World Tour event. Her run to the title match has been built on notable upsets, including a win over Japan's top seed Hina Akechi earlier in the tournament. Chaliha's best previous result on tour this year was a semifinal finish at the Macau Open in June, making Saturday's win her deepest run yet on the international circuit.

She will now face China's Han Qianxi, the tournament's fourth seed and reigning German Open champion, in Sunday's final — a considerably tougher test given Han's higher seeding and recent title-winning form.

Part of a Strong Year for Indian Women's Badminton

A win in the final would make Chaliha the fourth different Indian woman to claim a BWF singles title this year, following Tanvi Sharma's win at the Taipei Open, PV Sindhu's title at the Japan Open, and Devika Sihag's triumph at the Thailand Masters. That would extend what has already been a standout year for Indian women's singles badminton on the world tour, with multiple players breaking through for maiden or career-best titles.

On the doubles side, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty remain the other Indian BWF title winners this year, having claimed the men's doubles crown at the Singapore Badminton Open back in May.

What's Next

Chaliha's final against Han Qianxi will be closely watched by Indian badminton followers, both for what it means for her individual career and for what it would add to what has already been an unusually productive year for Indian shuttlers on the international tour. A win would give India its fourth women's singles BWF title of the year and mark Chaliha's arrival as a genuine title contender on tour, rather than just a dangerous floater capable of upsetting higher-ranked opponents.

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