PETALING JAYA: It will be a tall order for K. Letshanaa to reach the women’s singles third round of the World Championships as she takes on China’s world No. 3 Wang Zhiyi today.
But the 22-year-old is not daunted by the challenge and is determined to put up a good fight against the Chinese star.
It will be a repeat of their Uber Cup Finals quarter-final clash in Horsens in April, where Letshanaa gave Zhiyi a tough time before going down 17-21, 18-21.
Having done her homework for their latest meeting, Letshanaa is looking forward to facing the Asian Championships silver medallist again.
“Every time I play against her, I learn a lot and I always enjoy playing her. I’m really looking forward to the match because I just want see where my level is right now.
“It’s another good opportunity for me to play against a top-five player,” said Letshanaa in a post match interview with BWF.
Letshanaa, who cruised past Uganda’s Fadilah Shamika Rafi 21-11, 21-7 in the first round, said she had gotten accustomed to the conditions at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
“It was a good opening match for me as I had enough time to get used to the conditions, especially the drift, wind and lighting.
“This is my first time playing here because I didn’t get the chance to compete here in January for the Indian Open.
“It’s quite a big hall and the shuttle is quite fast. The air-conditioning is also tricky because it keeps going on and off.
“You have to stay really focused in every rally and be aware of your timing when hitting the shuttle,” she added.
