PETALING JAYA: Can national singles shuttler Wong Ling Ching continue with her giant-killing run at the Asian Championships?
The 22-year-old is staying upbeat despite facing a daunting opening-round clash against India’s P. V. Sindhu, the 2019 world champion and current world No. 13, at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre today.
Ling Ching has shown encouraging form this year, pulling off several upsets to climb to world No. 38 – just one spot behind compatriot K. Letshanaa.
Ling Ching is hoping to improve on last year’s campaign after exiting in the first round to Indonesia’s Komang Dewi.
“This tournament is always tough because all the top players are competing,” said Ling Ching.
“I want to give my best and do better than last year.
“The most important thing is to enjoy the match. I don’t often get the chance to play against top players like her, so I really appreciate this opportunity.”
This will be the second meeting between Ling Ching and Sindhu. Their first encounter was three years ago at the Asian Mixed Team Championships in Dubai, where Ling Ching lost 13-21, 17-21.
Letshanaa will also face a familiar opponent, taking on India’s Tanvi Sharma in the opening round.
Sharma, the runner-up at last year’s World Junior Championships, previously defeated Letshanaa in the quarter-finals of the US Open in July.
There was slightly better news for Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei, who avoids the qualifying rounds and a potential early clash with former world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan.
Following the withdrawal of world No. 3 Chen Yufei of China, Jin Wei has moved into the main draw.
However, she still faces a challenging opener against Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki.
Jin Wei previously met Miyazaki at last year’s Sudirman Cup in Xiamen, where she was defeated.
