India’s sole representative in the Korea Masters 2024, Kiran George, maintained his excellent form with a dominant straight-game win over fifth seed Takuma Obayashi of Japan in the quarterfinals. The match, played in Iksan, South Korea, saw George overcome the world number 34 Japanese player with a score of 21-14, 21-16 in just 39 minutes.
George controls the match from start to finish
World number 44, Kiran George, was in full control throughout the match. After a brief 1-1 tie early in the first game, George surged ahead, never relinquishing the lead. A commanding 15-6 advantage left Obayashi with little room to recover. Though the Japanese player reduced the gap to 12-16, George quickly regained momentum, winning four consecutive points to close out the first game.
Tight second game sealed by George
The second game proved to be more competitive, with both players closely matching each other’s pace. George initially led 7-3, but Obayashi fought back to level the score at 8-8. From then on, the contest remained neck-and-neck. However, with the score at 17-16, George accelerated, winning four points in a row to seal the game and the match.
George to face Kunlavut Vitidsarn in semifinal
With this victory, George secured his spot in the semifinals, where he will meet Thailand’s top seed and world number five, Kunlavut Vitidsarn. Vitidsarn advanced to the semifinals after beating Liu Liang of China 21-15, 21-11. This will be the fourth meeting between George and Vitidsarn, who will face off on Saturday, November 9.
Kiran George’s journey to the semifinals
Earlier in the tournament, George had a hard-fought win against third seed Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei in the pre-quarterfinals. After a tough opening round against Vietnam’s Kuan Lin Kuo, George managed to prevail in a three-game battle, winning 15-21, 21-12, 21-15 in 57 minutes. In the second round, the Indian shuttler secured a gritty three-game victory against world number 31 Chi Yu Jen, winning 21-17, 19-21, 21-17 after a 75-minute contest.
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