Malaysia Masters 2026: Ashmita storms into quarterfinals
Defeats two-time junior world champion Goh Jin Wei of Malaysia in straight sets; Malvika, Devika Malvika and Devika bow out.
Ashmita Chaliha is now the lone Indian left in the women’s singles draw. (Photo credit: Badminton Photo)
Ashmita Chaliha stormed into the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
Ashmita got the better of two-time junior world champion Goh Jin Wei of Malaysia 21-13, 21-16.
Meanwhile, other Indian shuttlers including Malvika Bansod and Devika Sihag lost their respective women’s singles matches.
Malvika lost to eighth seed Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark 21-16, 8-21, 15-21 in almost an hour. Devika surrendered to top seed Chen Yu Fei of China 16-21, 13-21 in 36 minutes.
Ashmita, who is the lone Indian in action in women's singles, will now play eighth seed Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark for a place in the final four.
In the men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun too fell out of contention, losing to Chinese pair Hu Ke Yuan and Lin Xiang Yi 14-21, 15-21 in 35 minutes.
Hariharan-Arjun had created ripples after pulling off a major upset against the seventh-seeded French brothers Christo and Toma Junior Popov, winning 21-19, 21-15 in straight games in the opening round.
Indian mixed doubles pair of Sathwik Reddy Kanapuram and Radhika Sharma will take on USA’s Presley Smith and Jennie Gai later in the day.
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