PETALING JAYA: Women’s singles shuttler K. Letshanaa is not letting her early exit from the Singapore Open affect her steady progress.
The world No. 30, who was making her debut at a Super 750 tournament, produced a spirited performance before falling to world No. 4 Chen Yufei of China in the opening round yesterday.
The 22-year-old Letshanaa pushed the Olympic champion all the way at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, taking the first game before Yufei rallied to secure a 19-21, 21-15, 21-17 victory in 66 minutes.
The pair had only previously met at last year’s Sudirman Cup Finals, where Yufei took only 32 minutes to win in straight games – a contrasting result to the rubber set clash in Singapore.
Letshanaa admitted she was a little disappointed with the close encounter, but took positives from her improved game.
“I am disappointed that I didn’t get the upset, but I’m happy with my performance,” said Letshanaa.
“I feel I’m getting closer to the top players inch by inch. I’m still the underdog, so there’s more pressure on them.
“Most importantly, I have to remain calm and composed. I can see that I’m gradually improving on this journey.”
Letshanaa had an impressive run last week at the Malaysian Masters, where she defeated world No. 9 Tomoka Miyazaki in the second round before her campaign ended in the quarter-finals.
She added that there is a big difference in experience between her and Yufei, but hopes to sharpen her skills during crucial moments.
“She (Yufei) has much more experience. She knows how to handle crucial points better, which is something I’m still learning.
“It’s a good lesson for me each time I play against top players because I need to learn to handle crucial points well.
“I need to have the mentality where I’m thinking of ways to pressure my opponents as well during those points.”
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s singles challenge in Singapore ended when Justin Hoh fell to fourth seed Christo Popov in similar fashion as he lost 21-13, 18-21, 14-21 in 62 minutes in the first round.
World No. 47 Justin said making the wrong calls on his game plan proved costly as it allowed the Frenchman to catch up, but noted improvements in his game, especially against a top player.
“Even if I’m leading, I have to be careful when playing against top players because I made some wrong decisions and he (Popov) took the opportunity to win,” said Justin.
Compatriots Leong Jun Hao and Wong Ling Ching also saw their run in the men and women’s singles end in the first round on Tuesday.
