ASAN — Indian shuttler Ashmita Chaliha won her first BWF World Tour title on Sunday, defeating China's fourth-seeded Han Qian Xi in the women's singles final at the Korea Masters in Asan.
Chaliha recovered from losing the opening game to beat Han 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 in 53 minutes, according to the Badminton World Federation. The victory made Chaliha the women's singles champion at the 2026 Korea Masters, a BWF World Tour Super 300 event.
The 26-year-old Indian had to overcome an early setback after Han took control of the first game. Chaliha responded by taking the second game 21-14 and then maintained her advantage in the decider to complete the comeback.
The title was Chaliha's first on the BWF World Tour and capped a strong week in Asan. She had reached the final after defeating compatriot Rakshitha Ramraj 21-13, 16-21, 21-13 in the semi-final.
The result also marked the first time an Indian woman had won the Korea Masters women's singles title, according to Indian media reports.
Chaliha's breakthrough comes after a period in which injuries had interrupted her progress on the international circuit. She returned to competition earlier in 2026 and subsequently advanced deep into several World Tour events before securing her maiden title.
Han, who was seeded fourth, had been one of the leading contenders in the women's singles draw and had previously faced Chaliha during the season. The Chinese player was unable to recover after Chaliha levelled the final at one game apiece.
The Korea Masters was one of the latest stops on the BWF World Tour calendar, with the Asan tournament providing ranking points and prize money toward the season standings. The BWF confirmed that Chaliha and China's Zhu Xuanchen both claimed their maiden World Tour titles at this year's event.
Chaliha's victory leaves her with a first World Tour crown and adds another title to India's women's singles record on the international circuit.
