(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Ashmita Chaliha Reaches Macau Open 2026 Semi-Finals
Indian badminton player Ashmita Chaliha advanced to the semi-finals of the Macau Open 2026 after a straight-games victory in the women’s singles quarter-finals on Friday.
Ranked 63rd in the world, Ashmita defeated South Korea’s Kim Min Sun 21-16, 21-18 in a match lasting 37 minutes at the Macao East Asian Games Dome. The result marks her deepest run on the BWF World Tour in more than two years.
Ashmita will now face another South Korean player, Park Ga-eun, in the semi-finals scheduled for Saturday. This will be only the second BWF World Tour semi-final appearance of her career and her first since reaching the last four at the Thailand Masters in 2024.
The opening game was closely contested until Ashmita pulled away with a strong run of points late in the game to take the lead. In the second game, she staged an impressive comeback after trailing by six points at the mid-game interval and eventually secured victory by winning the majority of the closing rallies.
The achievement continues Ashmita’s positive return to form after an injury break earlier in the season. Prior to the Macau Open, she had reached the quarter-finals of both the China Masters and Malaysia Masters.
Ashmita is now the sole Indian representative remaining in the tournament after compatriot Anmol Kharb exited in the quarter-finals. Anmol was defeated by fourth seed Han Qianxi of China in a three-game contest.
India’s campaign in the men’s singles ended earlier in the tournament, with Tharun Mannepalli and Rounak Chouhan bowing out in the pre-quarterfinal stage. The country’s doubles challenge also concluded after the mixed doubles pair of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Shruti Mishra were eliminated in the round of 16.
With a place in the final at stake, Ashmita Chaliha will look to continue her impressive run when she takes the court for the semi-final on Saturday.
