Korea Masters 2024: Kiran George’s Dream Run Ends After Semi-Final Loss to Top Seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn

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Indian shuttler Kiran George's dream run at the Korea Masters 2024 ended on Saturday (November 9) following a semifinal loss to top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in Iksan, South Korea.

The World number 41 George went down in straight games to world number five Vitidsarn by a scoreline of 12-21 20-22 in the men's singles last 4 match that lasted 53 minutes on court 1 at the Iksan Gymnasium.

The 24-year-old George kept it tight in the opening game, staying level at 5-5 before Kunlavut pulled ahead to 11-6 at the break. The Thai shuttler extended his lead further, moving to 17-8 after the interval, and quickly sealed the first game.

In the second game, Kunlavut surged to a 13-4 lead, but Kiran mounted a sensational fightback as he saved three match points and levelled the score at 20-20. However, it was Kunlavut who held his nerves to win the final two points and close out the match.

George, who trains at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), had earlier registered a fine win over fifth seed Takuma Obayashi of Japan in the quarterfinals and a hard-fought win over third seed Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei in the second round.

The semifinal loss brought an end to India's campaign in the BWF World Tour Super 300 event. Kiran George was the lone India competing in the badminton tournament. This defeat took the head to head record between the Indian and the Thai to 2-2.