In control: K. Letshanaa in action against Taiwan’s Huang Yu-hsun during their quarter-final match. — AP
PETALING JAYA: Women’s singles shuttler K. Letshanaa secured a major breakthrough in her career by smashing into the Indonesian Masters semi-finals.
Letshanaa, who has been struggling for consistency, turned her form around superbly with a commanding 21-17, 21-18 win over Taiwan’s world No. 37 Huang Yu-hsun 21-17, 21-18 in the last eight at Istora Senayan in Jakarta yesterday.
The world No. 42 has made it into the last four of a World Tour Super 500 tournament for the first time.
Buoyed by her sensational upset win over Canada’s world No. 12 Michelle Li a day earlier, Letshanaa played with confidence and authority to come away with victory over Yu-hsun in 40 minutes.
It was sweet revenge for the 22-year-old after losing to the Taiwanese in their last encounter in the Super 100 Indonesian Masters in 2023.
Letshanaa became the first Malaysian in the women’s singles to reach a Super 500 semi-finals since Goh Jin Wei progressed to the same stage in the 2023 Hong Kong Open.
Letshanaa has an opportunity to go one step further when she takes on Thailand’s world No. 36 Pitchamon Opatniputh next.
A pleased singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen believes his charge’s fine showing in the tournament so far was not just an important step for her but also the struggling women’s singles department.
“Letshanaa found a way to win today (yesterday). This is an important win for her and the team,” said Jonassen. “It has been a long dedicated process for her to get here. She has been working hard and she’s willing to learn and change things. She has also been honest about her thoughts.”
This will be the first meeting between Letshanaa and the 19-year-old Pitchamon.
The Thai, who is the 2023 world junior champion, earlier beat another Malaysian Wong Ling Ching in three games in the first round.
Letshanaa will be hoping to stop Pitchamon and continue her dream run in the competition.
There was also joy for Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (mixed doubles) and Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women’s doubles) after both booked their spots in the last four.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei showed their class by securing a 21-16, 21-19 win over Singaporean Indonesian combo Terry Hee-Gloria Emanuelle.
The reigning world champions though have a tougher task next against China’s world No. 2 Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin.
Pearly-Thinaah were also in fine form when they needed just 29 minutes to sweep aside South Korea’s Kim Yu-jung-Lee Yu-lim 21-15, 21-9.
The top seeds will next face the winners of the match between home pair Apriyani Rahayu-Lanny Tria and Taiwan’s Hsu Ya-ching-Sung Yu-hsuan.
In the men’s doubles, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani advanced as well after beating South Korea’s Cho Song-hyun-Lee Jong-min 21-17, 21-13.
Standing in their way next will be either Goh V Shem-Choi Sol-gyu or Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard.
QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
(Malaysians unless stated)
Men’s singles: Loh Kean Yew (Sin) bt Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) 21-13; 21-18; Chi Yu-jen (Tpe) bt Jason Teh (Sin) 21-18, 13-21, 21-13; Panitchapon Teeraratsakul (Tha) bt Lakshya Sen (Ind) 21-18, 22-20.
Men’s doubles: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani bt Cho Song-hyun-Lee Jong-min (Kor) 21-17, 21-13.
Women’s singles: K. Letshanaa bt Huang Yu-hsun (Tpe) 21-17, 21-18; Chen Yufei (Chn) bt P. V. Sindhu (Ind) 21-13, 21-17; Pitchamon Opatniputh (Tha) bt Nguyen Thuy Linh (Vie) 18-21, 26-24, 21-12; Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) bt Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) 15-21, 22-20, ret.
Women’s doubles: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah bt Kim Yu-jung-Lee Yu-lim (Kor) 21-15, 21-9.
Mixed doubles: Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei bt Terry Hee-Gloria Emanuelle (Sin-Ina) 21-16, 21-19; Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu (Ina) bt Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue (Fra) 13-21, 22-20, 21-16; Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin (Chn) bt Adnan Maulana-Indah Cahaya (Ina) 22-20, 14-21, 21-19.
