Korea Masters 2026: Srikanth exits in R1, Tanvi and Pruthvi-Krishna advance
Synopsis
Kidambi Srikanth's Korea Masters 2026 ended before it began — a three-game defeat to Israel's Daniil Dubovenko in round one. But India is not without hope: Taipei Open champion Tanvi Sharma set up an all-India women's singles clash, and the unfancied Pruthvi-Krishna pair stunned the fourth-seeded Thai duo in men's doubles.
Key Takeaways
Kidambi Srikanth lost to Israel's Daniil Dubovenko 20-22, 21-14, 21-12 in the men's singles first round of the BWF Korea Masters 2026 .
Tanvi Sharma beat China's Yuan An Qi and will face fellow Indian Shriyanshi Valishetty in the second round.
118 pair Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Krishna Prasad Garaga defeated fourth-seeded Thai pair 21-16, 21-18 in 42 minutes .
Tushar Suveer failed to qualify for the main draw after losing to Japan's Shogo Ogawa 21-10, 21-17 .
Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra lost 21-15, 21-13 to Japan's second-seeded women's doubles pair.
Kidambi Srikanth, former world No. 1, suffered an early exit at the BWF Korea Masters 2026 in Asan, South Korea, falling to Israel's Daniil Dubovenko 20-22, 21-14, 21-12 in the men's singles first round on Tuesday. The defeat ends the 33-year-old's campaign at the Super 300 event at the very first hurdle, dimming India's prospects in the men's singles draw.
Srikanth's Early Exit
Srikanth had arrived in Asan with momentum, having reached the final at the US Open earlier this season. He edged the opening game but lost it 22-20, and thereafter could not stem the tide as Dubovenko dominated the second and third games with scores of 21-14 and 21-12. The loss underlined a recurring pattern of inconsistency that has followed the veteran shuttler despite flashes of top-level form.
Tanvi Sharma Keeps Women's Singles Hopes Alive
Tanvi Sharma, the reigning Taipei Open champion, continued her strong run by defeating China's Yuan An Qi in the women's singles first round. Her second-round opponent will be fellow Indian Shriyanshi Valishetty, setting up an all-India clash that guarantees at least one Indian in the women's singles quarterfinal picture.
Pruthvi-Krishna Stun Fourth Seeds in Men's Doubles
The biggest Indian win of the day came in men's doubles, where the world No. 118 pair of Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Krishna Prasad Garaga upset the fourth-seeded Thai combination of Worrapol Thongsa-nga and Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn. The Indians won 21-16, 21-18 in 42 minutes, a result that stands as one of the more notable upsets of the opening round given the ranking gap between the two pairs.
Mixed Results Elsewhere for India
In the men's singles qualifying rounds, Tushar Suveer opened with a 21-15, 21-12 win over Canada's Shaurya Gullaiya but fell short of the main draw after a 21-10, 21-17 loss to Japan's Shogo Ogawa in the qualifying final.
The men's doubles pair of Arjun Reddy Pochana and Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu were beaten heavily by the second-seeded combination of Choi Sol Gyu and Goh V Shem, going down 21-3, 21-10. In women's doubles, Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra lost 21-15, 21-13 to Japan's second-seeded pair Ririna Hiramoto and Kokona Ishikawa.
India's Road Ahead
With Srikanth out and several doubles pairs eliminated, India's continued presence at the Korea Masters 2026 now rests largely on Tanvi Sharma's women's singles run and the Pruthvi-Krishna men's doubles pair, who will face a sterner test in the second round.
Point of View
The 33-year-old has repeatedly shown an inability to string together consistent performances at Super 300 and above. The more telling story from Asan is the Pruthvi-Krishna upset — world No. 118 beating the fourth seeds is the kind of result that signals depth in Indian men's doubles, a department that has historically underperformed relative to singles. If Tanvi Sharma can win the all-India second-round clash, India could still salvage a meaningful result from what began as a difficult opening day.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Kidambi Srikanth lose at the Korea Masters 2026?
Srikanth lost to Israel's Daniil Dubovenko 20-22, 21-14, 21-12 in the men's singles first round on Tuesday. After narrowly dropping the opening game, he could not recover as Dubovenko dominated the final two games.
How did Tanvi Sharma perform at the BWF Korea Masters 2026?
Tanvi Sharma won her first-round women's singles match, defeating China's Yuan An Qi. She will next face fellow Indian Shriyanshi Valishetty in the second round, guaranteeing an Indian in the next stage.
Who are Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Krishna Prasad Garaga?
They are an Indian men's doubles pair ranked world No. 118 who upset the fourth-seeded Thai pair Worrapol Thongsa-nga and Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn 21-16, 21-18 in 42 minutes at the Korea Masters 2026 first round.
Did any Indian player qualify for the Korea Masters 2026 main draw through qualifying?
No. Tushar Suveer won his opening qualifying match against Canada's Shaurya Gullaiya but lost the qualifying final 21-10, 21-17 to Japan's Shogo Ogawa and missed the main draw.
What is the BWF Korea Masters 2026?
The BWF Korea Masters 2026 is a Super 300-level badminton tournament held in Asan, South Korea. It is part of the BWF World Tour circuit, offering ranking points and prize money to players across all categories.
