Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj strengthened her reputation as one of India’s most promising young badminton players by defeating Tanvi Sharma in the Korea Masters Super 300 quarterfinals.
The 19-year-old recovered from a game down to win 18-21, 21-19, 21-18 in 61 minutes and set up an all-Indian semifinal against Ashmita Chaliha on Saturday.
The result extended Rakshitha’s unbeaten record against Tanvi to 4-0, while she also holds a 2-0 advantage over fellow emerging Indian player Devika Sihag. Tanvi and Devika have attracted wider attention after winning Super 300 titles in 2026, but Rakshitha’s head-to-head record indicates that she can compete successfully against both despite awaiting a major senior title.
Ranked ninth among Indian women and 49th in the world, the Coimbatore-born shuttler has trained at Hyderabad’s Pullela Gopichand Academy for several years. Coach B Sai Praneeth believes she needs one breakthrough tournament to strengthen her confidence. He praised her ability to remain composed and win the decisive rallies against Tanvi after repeatedly falling behind.
Tanvi, playing her eighth match in two weeks, won the opening game after recovering from 8-13 and placed Rakshitha under further pressure in the second. Rakshitha nevertheless forced a decider before breaking away from 15-15 in the third game. Tanvi’s errors contributed to the decisive four-point run, but Rakshitha’s sustained pressure and controlled stroke-making helped create those mistakes.
Sai Praneeth said Rakshitha already possesses the strokes, power and speed needed to succeed but must improve her body language when trailing. Her smoothly executed smash has become a major weapon, although coaches continue encouraging her to play more aggressively. They are also working to ensure that frustration with difficult conditions does not affect her concentration over subsequent points.
Rakshitha moved to Hyderabad for training, with her mother and sister relocating alongside her, but her development has required patience as several young Indian players achieved faster breakthroughs. She will next face Ashmita, who defeated top seed Hina Akechi 20-22, 21-15, 21-19. The semifinal presents Rakshitha with another opportunity to translate her recognised potential into a deep tournament run.