Malaysian shuttler Letshanaa moved into the second round of the Korea Open women's singles after a hard-fought straight-games victory on Wednesday, according to Free Malaysia Today. The world No 28 needed 47 minutes to get past Thailand's Tonrug Saehong, ranked 64th, winning 21-17, 21-18 at the World Tour Super 500 event.
Her compatriot Ling Ching exited the tournament in contrasting fashion, losing a three-game match despite at one stage holding two match points in the deciding game.
Why it matters
The Korea Open is a Super 500 stop on the World Tour, a tier that carries meaningful ranking points and prize money. For Letshanaa, the win keeps her campaign alive but sets up the toughest possible assignment. For Ling Ching, the defeat is a painful one given how close she came to progressing.
Letshanaa made to work for opening win
Letshanaa was tested by an opponent ranked well below her, with the Thai player pushing her across both games before the Malaysian closed out the match in straight games. The 47-minute duration reflects how little separated the two on the day, even though the scoreline reads comfortably enough.
The reward is a second-round meeting with An Se Young of South Korea, the top-ranked player in the women's singles standings. Free Malaysia Today reports that An has won all four of the pair's previous meetings, which makes Letshanaa a clear underdog going into the match.
Ling Ching's match points slip away
Ling Ching, ranked 41st in the world, looked to be in position to advance when she held two match points in the decider. Instead she was eliminated by Indonesia's Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan, ranked 62nd, in a contest that ran 70 minutes.
The final score was 17-21, 23-21, 20-22 in the Indonesian's favour. The margins were narrow throughout: Ling Ching dropped the opening game, took a tight second, and then lost the third by the smallest possible gap after having her chances to close it out.
Free Malaysia Today's headline described the day as one of mixed fortunes for the Malaysian women's singles contingent, and the two results bear that out — one player through after a scrappy but successful outing, the other out after a match she could plausibly have won.
What to watch
Letshanaa's second-round match against An Se Young will show whether she can trouble a player who has beaten her in every previous encounter. Ling Ching, meanwhile, will look to regroup at her next tournament.
