South Korea: Indian shuttler Ashmita Chaliha advanced to her first-ever BWF World Tour final after defeating compatriot Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj in the Korea Masters Super 300 semi-final on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Assam player won the closely fought contest 21-13, 16-21, 21-13 in 48 minutes to continue her impressive run in the tournament.
Ashmita took early control of the opening game, moving from 2-2 to 6-2 before building a 13-6 advantage. She maintained the pressure to take the game 21-13.
Rakshitha, who had earlier eliminated third seed Tanvi Sharma in the quarterfinals, responded strongly in the second game. The 19-year-old quickly established a 12-6 lead. Although Ashmita narrowed the gap to 13-12, Rakshitha held firm and forced a decider by winning the game 21-16.
Ashmita then produced a dominant start in the final game, racing to an 8-1 lead. She kept Rakshitha at a distance throughout the decider and sealed the match 21-13.
The victory caps a strong comeback for Ashmita, who returned to competitive action in May following a three-month absence caused by a medial meniscus injury in her right knee. She had also reached the semi-finals of the Macau Open during her return to the BWF Tour.
Earlier in the Korea Masters, Ashmita produced a major upset by defeating Japan's top seed and world No. 22 Hina Akechi in the quarterfinals.
With the win over Rakshitha, Ashmita has now secured her maiden BWF World Tour final appearance.