Devika Sihag Stuns Park Ga Eun as Indian Women Shine at Malaysia Masters 2026
India’s women shuttlers produced a series of encouraging performances on Day 2 of the PERODUA Malaysia Masters 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, with Devika Sihag, Malvika Bansod, and Ashmita Chaliha advancing to the Round of 16 after impressive victories in the women’s singles draw.
The day also witnessed a breakthrough win for young mixed doubles pair Sathwik Kanapuram and Radhika Sharma, while India endured several disappointing exits in men’s singles, including defeats for Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy. With several senior stars missing from the tournament, the Malaysia Masters has become an important platform for India’s emerging players to test themselves against high-level international opposition. On Tuesday, many of them responded impressively.
The standout result of the day came from young Indian shuttler Devika Sihag, who battled past Korea’s Park Ga Eun in a tense one-hour contest. After losing the opening game 19-21, Devika showed excellent composure and physical resilience to turn the match around, eventually winning 19-21, 21-18, 21-19. The match highlighted Devika’s fighting qualities. She initially struggled with Park’s pace and consistency from the backcourt but gradually began extending rallies and forcing errors from the Korean player.
In the deciding game, Devika displayed impressive maturity under pressure. Even when Park threatened to pull away late in the third set, the Indian stayed patient and managed crucial points during long exchanges.
The victory sets up a massive Round of 16 clash against top seed and former Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei of China. While Devika will start as a clear underdog, the match offers a huge opportunity for one of India’s promising young players to test herself against one of the sport’s elite names.
Malvika Bansod also registered a hard-fought victory, defeating Germany’s Yvonne Li in three games. The Indian left-hander started strongly to take the opening game 21-17 before Li responded to claim the second 21-16. However, Malvika dominated the deciding game completely, racing through it 21-9 to seal her place in the second round.
The result once again highlighted Malvika’s growing consistency at the BWF World Tour level. Her rally construction and defensive retrievals proved particularly effective in the decider as Yvonne Li struggled to maintain rhythm. Malvika will next face Denmark’s Line Kjaersfeldt in the Round of 16. The Danish player remains one of Europe’s most experienced women’s singles shuttlers, but Malvika’s current form gives her a realistic chance of pushing deep into the tournament.
Ashmita Chaliha produced one of the cleanest performances among the Indian contingent, defeating Indonesia’s Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan 21-16, 21-13. The result was particularly impressive considering Thalita entered the tournament in strong form after recent performances against several top Asian players.
Ashmita controlled the match with excellent court coverage and sharp placement, rarely allowing the Indonesian to settle into attacking patterns. The Indian also looked far more confident physically compared to some of her earlier tournaments this season.
Her victory sets up a Round of 16 clash against Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei, ensuring another important opportunity against quality opposition.
India’s young mixed doubles pair Sathwik Kanapuram and Radhika Sharma delivered one of the biggest upsets of the day. The Indian duo defeated Scotland’s higher-ranked pair Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson 16-21, 21-14, 21-18 to enter the Round of 16. After losing the opening game, the Indians showed remarkable composure and tactical improvement. Their attacking combinations became sharper in the second game, while Radhika’s net play significantly disrupted the Scottish pair’s rhythm.
The victory guarantees a major rankings boost, with the pair projected to move inside the world’s top 75 a significant milestone in their young careers. It also marks their best-ever result at a Super 300+ tournament outside India, making the win even more significant. They will next face American pair Presley Smith and Jennie Gai in the Round of 16.
While the women delivered strong results, India’s men’s singles campaign suffered several setbacks. Lakshya Sen endured a disappointing straight-game defeat against Indonesia’s Mohd. Zaki Ubaidillah. The young Indonesian controlled the rallies effectively and secured a clinical 21-17, 21-11 victory against the eighth seed.
HS Prannoy came painfully close to defeating Japan’s Kodai Naraoka but eventually lost a dramatic three-game encounter 17-21, 22-20, 22-24. Prannoy had opportunities to close out the match in the decider but struggled to convert key points against the relentless Japanese shuttler. Kiran George retired midway through his match against Alex Lanier after trailing 15-21, 1-6, while Tharun Mannepalli lost in three games against Wang Po Wei.
Tanvi Sharma and Isharani Baruah also exited after competitive performances in women’s singles.
Results Summary – Malaysia Masters 2026 (Day 2)
Women’s Singles
Devika Sihag beat Park Ga Eun (KOR) 19-21, 21-18, 21-19
Malvika Bansod beat Yvonne Li (GER) 21-17, 16-21, 21-9
Ashmita Chaliha beat Thalita Wiryawan (INA) 21-16, 21-13
Isharani Baruah lost to Line Christophersen 17-21, 21-14, 18-21
Tanvi Sharma lost to Pitchamon Opatniputh 10-21, 19-21
Anmol Kharb lost to Line Kjaersfeldt 21-13, 16-21, 19-21
Men’s Singles
Lakshya Sen lost to Mohd. Zaki Ubaidillah 17-21, 11-21
HS Prannoy lost to Kodai Naraoka 17-21, 22-20, 22-24
Tharun Mannepalli lost to Wang Po Wei 21-17, 14-21, 8-21
Kiran George retired against Alex Lanier
Mixed Doubles
Sathwik Kanapuram/Radhika Sharma beat Alexander Dunn/Julie Macpherson 16-21, 21-14, 21-18
Women’s Doubles
Rutaparna Panda/Swetaparna Panda lost to Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi 7-21, 6-21
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