Ashmita Chaliha produced a courageous display before falling to Denmark’s Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt in the women’s singles quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 tournament on Friday.
Playing at the Axiata Arena, the Indian shuttler pushed the world No. 23 to the limit before eventually going down 23-21, 18-21, 11-21 in a hard-fought contest that lasted a little over an hour. Despite the defeat, Chaliha’s performance marked another encouraging step in her return from a lengthy injury layoff.
The 71st-ranked Indian had entered the tournament after recovering from a medial meniscus tear in her right knee, an injury that kept her out of action for eight months. Against the eighth-seeded Dane, Chaliha showed impressive determination and sharp movement during the early stages of the match.
She began strongly in the opening game, racing to an 11-6 lead at the interval with a series of aggressive rallies and controlled shot placement. However, Kjaersfeldt gradually found her rhythm after the break and reduced the deficit to 13-12 before moving ahead 19-18 in a tense finish.
Chaliha, though, remained composed under pressure. The Indian fought back brilliantly in the closing exchanges and held her nerve in a marathon battle to seal the opening game 23-21, raising hopes of a major upset.
The second game unfolded in similar fashion. Chaliha once again took control early and opened up a 10-5 advantage with confident attacking play. But the experienced Dane steadily worked her way back into the contest and restored parity at 13-13.
From there, Kjaersfeldt elevated the pace of the rallies and capitalised on crucial points. Locked at 15-15, the Dane won key exchanges late in the game to pull away and level the match with a 21-18 win.
The deciding game proved far more difficult for the Indian as fatigue appeared to set in. Kjaersfeldt seized control early, moving into an 8-4 lead and dictating the tempo with greater consistency and precision.
Chaliha struggled to regain momentum in the final stages, and the Danish player comfortably closed out the decider 21-11 to secure her place in the semifinals.
Although her campaign ended in the last eight, Chaliha’s spirited run and competitive showing against a higher-ranked opponent highlighted her steady return to form after injury and offered positive signs for Indian badminton moving forward.
