BWF Tour: Kiran George marches into quarterfinals of Korea Masters

Iksan City (South Korea):  Indian shuttler Kiran George defeated third seed Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei to move into the men’s singles quarterfinals at the Korea Masters, a BWF Super 300 badminton tournament, here on Thursday. World No. 41 George, the only Indian competing at the tournament, registered a 21-17, 19-21, 21-17 win over Jen to move into the top eight, where he will face Japan’s Takuma Obayashi. Jen initially led by a single point at the first midgame break, but Kiran George accelerated after the restart to secure the opening game. In the second, the Chinese Taipei shuttler fought back, equalising despite Kiran’s three saved game points towards the end. The decider remained intense until George won five consecutive points, reaching a 20-14 lead. Jen saved three game points but couldn’t prevent the Indian from clinching the match in an hour and 15 minutes. Earlier, Kiran George had to dig deep to beat Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Dang 15-21, 21-12, 21-15 in the opening round. India’s Ayush Shetty (men’s singles) and Imad Farooqui Samiya (women’s singles) were also on the entry list for the tournament but both have pulled out. –IANS