PETALING JAYA: Women's singles shuttler K. Letshanaa (pic) gained confidence after contributing a point for Malaysia against Hong Kong in Group B of the Asia Mixed Team Championships.
The women's singles event has traditionally been one of Malaysia's weakest in the mixed team competition.
World No. 53 Letshanaa, however, showed that this perception could change when she rose to the occasion to beat world No. 97 Saloni Samirbhai 21-18, 21-18 at the Qingdao Conson Sports Center yesterday.
While the 21-year-old was the favourite based on rankings, victory was not guaranteed, as upsets are common in team events.
Letshanaa kept her cool during crucial moments to secure a priceless win for herself and the team.
Although Malaysia eventually lost 2-3 in the overall tie, the victory was a significant boost for Letshanaa.
"It was quite a tough match and my first match in this tournament. It turned out to be a good match for me," said Letshanaa.
"I was more consistent and could get a point for the team. The court conditions were tricky as the shuttle was quite slow. So, it feels good to win."
Letshanaa hopes to continue her good form if selected again over world No. 95 Wong Ling Ching against Indonesia in a crucial match for Malaysia today.
Malaysia needs a win to progress to the quarter-finals.
Letshanaa or Ling Ching face a tough task against either world No. 14 Putri Kusuma or world No. 40 Komang Ayu.
Putri started Indonesia's opening match against Hong Kong on Tuesday and easily beat Yeung Sum Yee to help her team win 5-0.
