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Indian shuttler Ashmita Chaliha said her victory over world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi at the Badminton French Open 2026 meant a lot to her after coming through a difficult phase, describing the biggest win of her career as a confidence-booster.
The 27-year-old Chaliha stunned three-time world champion Yamaguchi 21-19, 21-18 in 37 minutes in the women's singles second round on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the BWF Super 750 tournament. "Honestly, it feels unreal. Im still trying to sink it all in! Beating a player like Akane, who has achieved so much in this sport, is a really special feeling. Having come through a difficult phase this win means a lot to me. It gives me confidence and reminds me that all the hard work is paying off. Im just really happy and proud of myself today," Chaliha told ANI. The Indian, currently ranked 36th in the world, had lost to Yamaguchi in straight games at the Denmark Open last week. She said that experience helped her prepare better for their rematch in Paris. "Having played her just last week in denmark I knew what to expect and I tried to learn from that match rather than think too much about the result. I just wanted to enjoy and play my best game. And today I focused on being more patient, staying composed, and taking my chances whenever they came. Against a player like Akane, you cannot afford to switch off for even a moment, so I tried to stay focused throughout the match and trust my game. Im really glad I could execute my plans today and turn things around," she said. Chaliha made a strong start in the opening game, establishing an 18-14 lead before Yamaguchi fought back to level the score at 18-18. The Indian held her nerve in the closing exchanges to take the game 21-19. The second game was closely contested in the early stages, with the scores level at 7-7, before Chaliha pulled away to complete the straight-games victory. Her defensive resilience and consistent retrievals put the Japanese shuttler under pressure and forced her into several unforced errors. Chaliha, who won her maiden BWF World Tour title at the Korea Masters Super 300 earlier this year, will next face either Japan's Olympic medallist and former world champion Nozomi Okuhara or Thailand's world No. 8 Pornpawee Chochuwong in the quarter-finals. Yamaguchi had finished runner-up at the World Championships in New Delhi earlier this year, losing to South Korea's An Se Young in the final. Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu also advanced to the quarter-finals, defeating Japan's Riko Gunji 21-12, 21-16 in 44 minutes. (ANI)
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