Latest news with #Letshanaa
The Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Letshanaa to dethrone Jin Wei as top Malaysian despite losing in US quarters
PETALING JAYA: K. Letshanaa's campaign at the US Open may have ended in the quarter-finals, but the ranking points she collected could soon make her the new Malaysian No. 1 in the women's singles. The 21-year-old's impressive run was halted by India's Tanvi Sharma, who handed her a 13-21, 16-21 defeat in 33 minutes at the Mid American Centre in Iowa yesterday. The result came as a letdown after Letshanaa had built strong momentum with a stunning upset over former world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the first round, followed by a confident victory against India's Aakarshi Kashyap in the second round. Despite the loss, Letshanaa's world ranking is set to rise. Currently placed No. 50, she is expected to overtake Goh Jin Wei, the current Malaysian No. 1, who sits at No. 44. National women's singles coach K. Yogendran believes Letshanaa has shown clear progress, although he acknowledged it was unfortunate she could not replicate her earlier performances against Sharma in her bid to reach her first Super 300 semi-finals. 'Overall, Letshanaa did well. She beat higher-ranked players, and from the very first round, every match was a challenge. 'We were hoping for a better showing in the quarter-finals, but her game didn't quite come together. 'It may have been due to fatigue from the earlier rounds,' said Yogendran. Yogendran also brushed aside suggestions that the win over Okuhara was a stroke of luck, insisting it was a reflection of Letshanaa's hard work and steady progress in training. He hopes the experience in Iowa will serve as motivation for Letshanaa to achieve even greater success in upcoming tournaments, particularly in the Canadian Open which begins next Tuesday. 'That win wasn't down to luck, she has worked hard and has shown clear improvement. What she needs now is consistency, and that's something we're focusing on in her development. 'I see this as a stepping stone for her. 'She must learn from this defeat, and hopefully, she'll bounce back and showcase her true game in Canada,' he added. Letshanaa is scheduled to face the United States' Ishika Jaiswal in the first round of the Canada Open. Another representative Wong Ling Ching faces a tough task against fifth seed Line Christophersen of Denmark in the opener.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Letshanaa's US Open journey ends in quarter-finals
NATIONAL women's singles player K. Letshanaa saw her impressive US Open run come to an end in the quarter-finals after a straight-game defeat to India's Tanvi Sharma early Friday morning. The 21-year-old, who had hoped to secure her first Super 300 semi-final spot, fell 13-21, 16-21 in a 33-minute match. The loss also marked the conclusion of Malaysia's participation in the tournament. Earlier in the competition, Letshanaa delivered a stunning performance by defeating former world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the opening round. She followed that up with another strong showing against India's Aakarshi Kashyap in the second round. Letshanaa is now set to shift her focus to the upcoming Canadian Open in Markham next week.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Letshanaa bows out in US Open quarter-finals
KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttler K. Letshanaa's gallant run in the US Open came to an end at the quarter-finals in Iowa on Friday. The world No. 50 could not raise her game against India's world No. 66 Tanvi Shah and lost 21-13, 21-16 in 33 minutes. Letshanaa had earlier scalped Japan's 2017 world champion Nozomi Okuhara and India's world No. 49 Aakarshi Kashyap en route to the last four. National singles coach K. Yogendran said Letshanaa needs to be more consistent. This is her second quarter-final exit this year following the Taiwan Open last month. "Overall, she deserves credit for beating higher ranked players but she must be more confident after this to improve in her next tournament (Canada Open)." The 16-year-old Tanvi had beaten second seed Nguyen Thuy Lin of Vietnam and Taiwan Open runner-up Pitchamon Opatniputh of Thailand before stopping Letshanaa in Iowa. Meanwhile, Yogendran is confident world No. 43 Justin Hoh will bounce back in the Canada Open in Markham, Ontario next week, after falling in the second round to Taiwan's world No. 76 Liao Jhuo Fu in the US Open. "Justin is facing new challenges in every tournament. It is a stepping stone and I expect him to bounce back stronger in Canada," added Yogendran. "He is slowly coping to face different obstacles against opponents he has never played before." Men's singles world No. 99 Eogene Ewe lost in the US Open qualifying rounds and women's singles world No. 96 Wong Ling Ching was shown the exit in the second round.
The Star
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Letshanaa's US Open run ends in quarter-finals
PETALING JAYA: Women's singles shuttler K. Letshanaa's fine run in the US Open came to an end in the quarter-finals after she was beaten by India's Tanvi Sharma on Friday (June 27). Letshanaa, who was aiming to reach her first-ever Super 300 semi-final, saw her hopes dashed despite facing an opponent ranked only No. 66 in the world. The 21-year-old went down 13-21, 16-21 in 33 minutes, marking the end of Malaysia's campaign in the tournament. Earlier, Letshanaa had impressed with a sensational upset over former world champion Nozomi Okuhara in the first round, followed by a second-round win over India's Aakarshi Kashyap. Letshanaa will now shift her focus to the Canadian Open in Markham next week. Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Letshanaa's strong run in US Open impresses Jonassen
KUALA LUMPUR: National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen hailed K. Letshanaa in securing her biggest career win by outplaying Japan's 2017 world champion Nozomi Okuhara and India's Aakarshi Kashyap en route to the US Open quarter-finals in Iowa on Thursday. World No. 50 Letshanaa played the match of her life to oust world No. 42 Okuhara 21-8, 21-18 in the first round and world No. 49 Aakarshi 21-17, 20-22, 21-13 in the second round. "A strong performance (against Okuhara). It's not easy to follow up with a win yesterday (Thursday) against a just as good but lesser known opponent (Aakarshi)," said Jonassen who is currently back in Denmark on holiday. It was Letshanaa's second quarter-final appearance in a Super 300 event on the World Tour this year after the Taiwan Open last month. Okuhara was also a bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and a winner of 17 international titles. But multiple injuries have affected the 30-year-old from Nagano. Letshanaa faces a tricky match against India's world No. 66 Tanvi Sharma in a late last eight match on Friday. Tanvi is just 16 but secured an impressive win over Thailand's world No. 58 Pitchamon Opatniputh in the second round. The Thai was runner-up at the Taiwan Open where Letshanaa managed only a last eight spot.
