GUWAHATI: Assam’s Ashmita Chaliha registered the biggest win of her career on Thursday, October 22, defeating three-time French Open champion and world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi in the second round of the badminton tournament in Tremblay-en-France.
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The Indian shuttler won 21-19, 21-18 to secure a place in her first-ever quarter-final at a BWF Super 750 event. She also became the first Indian player since PV Sindhu to defeat Yamaguchi, with Sindhu having beaten the Japanese player at the Thailand Open in 2022.
“I’m shivering. It’s very overwhelming. It’s my biggest win and I’m trying to still digest. It will take a day,” Ashmita reportedly told the Badminton World Federation (BWF) after the match.
Ashmita’s victory came a week after she lost to Yamaguchi in the round of 16 at the Denmark Open, where the Japanese shuttler won 21-18, 21-10.
In the opening game at the French Open, Ashmita took an 18-14 lead before Yamaguchi fought back to level the score at 18-18. With the players tied at 19-19, the Indian held her nerve to claim the game 21-19.
The second game began with a closely contested exchange, with both players level at 7-7. Ashmita then pulled ahead and maintained her advantage to win 21-18, sealing the match in straight games.
Ashmita, who won her maiden BWF World Tour title at the Korea Masters Super 300 earlier this year, will next face either Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara, an Olympic medallist and former world champion, or Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong, the world No. 8, in the quarter-finals.
PV Sindhu also advanced to the quarter-finals of the BWF Super 750 tournament after defeating Japan’s Riko Gunji 21-12, 21-16 in 44 minutes.
