Malaysia Masters 2026: India's Ashmita Chaliha goes down to Denmark's Line Kjaersfeldt in quarterfinal
Kuala Lumpur, May 22
India's campaign at the Malaysia Masters 2026 tournament in Kuala Lumpur came to an end on Friday after shuttler Ashmita Chaliha lost to Denmark's Line Kjaersfeldt in the women's singles quarterfinal, according to Olympics.com.
While Ashmita started strongly and claimed the opening game, the 71st-ranked shuttler eventually went down 21-23, 21-18, 21-11 to the world No. 23 Line Kjaersfeldt.
The Indian shuttler dominated the early exchanges and built an 11-6 lead at the first-game interval. Although Kjaersfeldt fought back to level the scores at 17-17, Ashmita stayed composed and converted her third game point to take the opener.
However, the momentum shifted in the second game. Ashmita once again had a solid start, moving 10-5 ahead, but the Danish player later levelled at 13-13 before winning four successive points to establish an 18-15 lead and eventually force a decider.
The final game proved largely one-sided. After the score was tied at 4-4, Kjaersfeldt surged ahead with four straight points to make it 8-4. Though Ashmita reduced the deficit to 8-6, Kjaersfeldt responded with another five-point streak to extend her lead to 13-6 and comfortably seal the match.
This was the second meeting between the two players, with Kjaersfeldt also defeating Ashmita in three games at the Thailand Masters 2023.
Earlier, Ashmita stormed into the women's singles quarterfinal with a 21-13, 21-16 win over Malaysia's Goh Jin Wei on Thursday.
Indian badminton players will next compete at the Singapore Open Super 750 tournament, which begins on Tuesday.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Ashmita's stamina seems to be an issue - she started strong in both first and second games but faded in the decider. Line Kjaersfeldt is experienced and knows how to grind out matches. Good exposure for our girl though, these European players are tactically very strong. Let's support our players, they work hard!
Sad to see Indian campaign end, but honestly Ashmita lacks that killer instinct to close out matches. Leading 10-5 in second game and then losing 18-21 is not acceptable at this level. Our badminton pipeline needs more mental conditioning coaches. Sindhu and Saina set high standards, but we need depth in women's singles.
At least she won a game against world No. 23! That's progress from the Thailand Masters loss in 2023. Our players need more exposure to top-level tournaments. The Singapore Open will be another chance to prove herself. Keep your chin up, Ashmita! 💪
The scoreline says it all - 21-11 in the decider is one-sided. Ashmita needs to work on her fitness and shot selection under pressure. Denmark players are known for their deceptive play. But credit to her for qualifying for main draw and reaching quarters. Rome wasn't built in a day! 🇮🇳🏸
As someone who follows badminton closely, I think Ashmita has potential but needs to work on her consistency. The gap between her best and worst is too wide. Kjaersfeldt is a seasoned pro and knew exactly when to step up. Good
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