Young Indian badminton player Devika Sihag has etched her name in the history books as she won the women’s singles crown at the Thailand Masters Super 300 tournament on Sunday. Devika has become only the third Indian shuttler, after stalwarts PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, to win a women's singles title in a Super 300.
The 20-year-old shuttler from Haryana was declared the winner after her opponent, Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei, retired hurt during the final due to a hamstring problem.
Devika was in complete control of the match and had already taken the opening game with a big margin of 21-8 before building a strong lead of 6-3 in the second game when the match was stopped.
The Thailand Masters, which carries a prize purse of USD 250,000, is part of the BWF World Tour Super 300 circuit and marks a breakthrough for the young Indian.
Devika showed calmness and maturity throughout the tournament, defeating higher-ranked opponents, starting with Ashmita Chaliha in the first round, and then taking down eighth seed Tung Ciou-Tong and top seed Supanida Katethong on the way to the final. The 20-year-old did not drop a single game through the tournament, producing a series of assured performances against a strong international field. Her standout moment came in the quarterfinals, where she knocked out top seed Supanida Katethong, setting the tone for a dominant march to the title.
Goh Jin Wei, a former world junior champion and currently ranked inside the top 70, struggled to move freely during the final before deciding to withdraw, allowing Devika to seal the title, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) informed in a release on Sunday.
Devika showed calmness and maturity throughout the tournament, defeating higher-ranked opponents, starting with Ashmita Chaliha in the first round, and then taking down eighth seed Tung Ciou-Tong and top seed Supanida Katethong on the way to the final. The 20-year-old did not drop a single game through the tournament, producing a series of assured performances against a strong international field. Her standout moment came in the quarterfinals, where she knocked out top seed Supanida Katethong, setting the tone for a dominant march to the title.
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Her strong run continued in the following season, where she reached the final of the Indonesia Masters Super 100. In 2024, Devika featured in four title matches, winning championships at the Swedish Open and the Portugal International, while finishing as the runner-up at the Estonian International and the Dutch International.