Letshanaa's strong run in US Open impresses Jonassen
KUALA LUMPUR: National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen hailed K. Letshanaa in securing her biggest career win by outplaying Japan's 2017 world champion Nozomi Okuhara and India's Aakarshi Kashyap en route to the US Open quarter-finals in Iowa on Thursday.
World No. 50 Letshanaa played the match of her life to oust world No. 42 Okuhara 21-8, 21-18 in the first round and world No. 49 Aakarshi 21-17, 20-22, 21-13 in the second round.
"A strong performance (against Okuhara). It's not easy to follow up with a win yesterday (Thursday) against a just as good but lesser known opponent (Aakarshi)," said Jonassen who is currently back in Denmark on holiday.
It was Letshanaa's second quarter-final appearance in a Super 300 event on the World Tour this year after the Taiwan Open last month.
Okuhara was also a bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and a winner of 17 international titles. But multiple injuries have affected the 30-year-old from Nagano.
Letshanaa faces a tricky match against India's world No. 66 Tanvi Sharma in a late last eight match on Friday.
Tanvi is just 16 but secured an impressive win over Thailand's world No. 58 Pitchamon Opatniputh in the second round. The Thai was runner-up at the Taiwan Open where Letshanaa managed only a last eight spot.
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New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Letshanaa's strong run in US Open impresses Jonassen
KUALA LUMPUR: National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen hailed K. Letshanaa in securing her biggest career win by outplaying Japan's 2017 world champion Nozomi Okuhara and India's Aakarshi Kashyap en route to the US Open quarter-finals in Iowa on Thursday. World No. 50 Letshanaa played the match of her life to oust world No. 42 Okuhara 21-8, 21-18 in the first round and world No. 49 Aakarshi 21-17, 20-22, 21-13 in the second round. "A strong performance (against Okuhara). It's not easy to follow up with a win yesterday (Thursday) against a just as good but lesser known opponent (Aakarshi)," said Jonassen who is currently back in Denmark on holiday. It was Letshanaa's second quarter-final appearance in a Super 300 event on the World Tour this year after the Taiwan Open last month. Okuhara was also a bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and a winner of 17 international titles. But multiple injuries have affected the 30-year-old from Nagano. Letshanaa faces a tricky match against India's world No. 66 Tanvi Sharma in a late last eight match on Friday. Tanvi is just 16 but secured an impressive win over Thailand's world No. 58 Pitchamon Opatniputh in the second round. The Thai was runner-up at the Taiwan Open where Letshanaa managed only a last eight spot.
The Star
7 hours ago
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