India's Kiran George delivered an impressive performance to upset third seed Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei in the second round of the Korea Masters 2024 badminton tournament on Thursday, November 7. The world number 44, George, overcame the higher-ranked Chi Yu Jen, who is ranked 31st, in a thrilling three-game battle that lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes.
The match, held at the Iksan Gymnasium in Iksan, South Korea, saw George claim the first game 21-17 before losing the second 19-21 in a tense fightback from Chi Yu Jen. However, George held his nerve in the deciding game, clinching a 21-17 victory to secure his spot in the quarterfinals.
This win was a significant achievement for the 24-year-old, who is the only Indian player in the BWF Super 300 event. George’s journey to the quarters will continue with a matchup against fifth-seeded Takuma Obayashi of Japan on Friday, November 8. Obayashi, who progressed to the quarterfinals with a straight-game win of 22-20, 21-14 over Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia, has faced George three times before. Despite Obayashi’s solid form, George has an unbeaten record against him, having defeated the Japanese player in all their previous encounters.
The pair last met earlier this year, where George triumphed in both the Malaysia Masters and Swiss Open, winning in straight games. In their only other meeting at the Indonesia Masters last year, George also came out on top after recovering from a game down to win 18-21, 21-19, 21-19.
Before his triumph over Chi Yu Jen, George had made a strong start to the tournament, defeating Vietnam’s Kuan Lin Kuo in a hard-fought first-round match. After losing the first game 15-21, George bounced back to win the next two 21-12, 21-15 in a 57-minute clash.
With his confidence high, George will look to continue his solid form in the quarterfinals as he aims for another memorable win at the Korea Masters 2024.
