Seven meetings, zero wins, but Dhinda still didn't give up and stood strong against Kim Min Sun.

On Thursday, Ni Kadek Dhinda Amartya Pratiwi finally defeated the Korean champ Kim Min Sun by 21-17, 21-15 in just 45 minutes in the Round of 16 at the Ruichang China Masters 2026, booking a quarterfinal spot in the process.

Badminton Indonesia shared the moment on X, writing, "After 7 failed meetings, this time Dhinda successfully claimed her first victory over Kim Min Sun," the federation posted. "Dhinda is on fire."

The rivalry between the two goes back to December 2022. At that time, Kim defeated a teenage Dhinda at the TOYOTA Gazoo Racing Badminton Asia U17 Championships.

After that, Kim kept winning whenever they met in junior events, senior tournaments, and team competitions. Kim always found a way through.

Their two most recent matches followed the same pattern. At the Allianz Malaysia Super 100 in October 2025, Kim won the match in three games, losing only one game.

A few days later, at the WONDR by BNI Indonesia Masters II in October 2025, Kim won again. Dhinda had some good moments, but they were not enough to change the result.

Thursday was different from the very first point. The 21-17, 21-15 scoreline wasn't a scrape or a lucky escape. It was control. Dhinda moved through the match without ever looking like she needed a third game, and walked away with a quarterfinal berth to show for it.

The Rivalry Stat That Makes Dhinda's Ruichang Win Even Bigger

The numbers put this result in full perspective. Across all eight meetings, Kim's career record against Dhinda now stands at seven wins to one.

Every previous win for the Korean came in straight or three-game fights where Dhinda rarely looked comfortable. For once, Dhinda controlled the tempo. Kim had no answers.

For an Indonesian shuttler carrying 301 ranking points into this week, beating a persistent rival in the manner she did sends a message to the rest of the Ruichang China Masters 2026 draw.

Dhinda is all in, and she is playing like someone who has been waiting a long time to feel this good.

Can Dhinda go all the way and win the Ruichang China Masters 2026? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi