Korean Masters: Kiran George marches into men's singles semifinals

Indian shuttler Kiran George advanced to the semifinals of the ongoing Korea Masters badminton tournament with a decisive win over Japan's Takuma Obayashi on Friday. According to Olympics.com, George claimed victory with a score of 21-14, 21-16 in the men's singles event in Iksan City, South Korea. The 24-year-old, currently ranked world number 41 in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings, took just 39 minutes to defeat world number 34 Obayashi in the quarterfinals of the BWF Super 300 tournament.

The Indian maintained control from the outset, establishing a 5-1 lead and holding onto his advantage to clinch the opening game. The second game was more competitive, with both players exchanging the lead multiple times. However, George, the only Indian competing in the tournament, secured the final four points to win the match and reach his first semifinal of the year.

In the round of 16, George had stunned third-seed Chi Yu Jen from Chinese Taipei. He will now face Paris Olympics 2024 silver medallist and top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the semifinal clash on Saturday. George and Vitidsarn have met twice before. Vitidsarn triumphed at the Indonesia Masters in January this year, while George emerged victorious in the Malaysia International Series in 2017. A winner of the Odisha Open and Indonesia Masters 2023, Kiran is now aiming for his first BWF Super 300 title. (ANI)