Tough hurdle: If K. Letshanaa can pull off an upset against Denmark’s Line Christophersen in the first round of the German Open, she will likely face Indonesia’s Komang Ayu next.
PETALING JAYA: The challenge has got tougher for women’s singles shuttler K. Letshanaa in the German Open.
World No. 53 Letshanaa will take on Denmark’s Line Christophersen in the first round in Mulheim today after the latter’s teammate Julie Dawall Jakobsen withdrew from the tournament.
Initially, the 21-year-old was supposed to play world No. 34 Jakobsen but her withdrawal saw world No. 36 Christophersen replacing her in the draw.
Singles head coach Kenneth Jonassen believes that Christophersen poses a more difficult threat to Letshanaa than Jokobsen despite being ranked slightly lower.
Jonassen, who used to be head coach of the Danish national team, is familiar with his former charge’s capabilities.
“I believe Christophersen is a much tougher opponent. It will be a strong challenge for Letshanaa to follow her opponent’s pace,” said Jonassen.
“Christophersen has won the Danish National Championships six times in a row. Her last win came just three weeks ago.
“She is a powerful player and always seeks the initiative and control in every rally.
“It will be very important to gain control and be more aggressive. At the same time, it’s important to maintain the quality of play and not to get caught out of balance,” added Jonassen.
This will be first meeting between Letshanaa and Christophersen in an international tournament.
If the former manages to pull off an upset, she will likely face Indonesia’s world No. 40 Komang Ayu in the second round.
The former has never made it beyond the early rounds in a World Tour Super 300 competition and is hoping for a breakthrough this time.
Meanwhile, another women’s singles player S. Kisona booked her spot in the tournament proper after beating Spain’s Clara Azurmendi 21-15, 21-10 in the qualifying round.
Kisona will next play India’s Rakshitha Sree for a place in the second round. In the men’s singles, Justin Hoh will also open his campaign today against Japan’s Takuma Obayashi while Cheam June Wei will meet Taiwan’s Su Liyang.
