Malaysian shuttler Letshanaa stuns former world champ Okuhara in straight sets at US Open badminton
IOWA, June 26 – National shuttler K. Letshanaa pulled off the biggest upset of her career by defeating former world champion Nozomi Okuhara in the first round of the US Open on Wednesday.
The Star reported that the world No. 42 stunned eighth seed Okuhara, ranked 27th, with a straight-sets 21-8, 21-19 victory in just 31 minutes at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
She will meet India's Aakarshi Kashyap in the second round.
Compatriot Wong Ling Ching also impressed by overcoming Taiwan's fourth seed Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 19-21, 22-20 in a closely contested match.
Ling Ching's next opponent is Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova.
In the men's singles, Justin Hoh advanced with a convincing 21-10, 21-10 win over Belgium's Julien Carragi.
He will face Taiwan's Liao Jhuo-fu in the next round.
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New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Rashid urges Letshanaa to build on Okuhara win
KUALA LUMPUR: Badminton legend Datuk Rashid Sidek believes K. Letshanaa has the potential to go far in women's singles if she continues to beat top-ranked players consistently. World No. 50 Letshanaa pulled off a major upset by beating former world champion Nozomi Okuhara in the first round of the US Open in Iowa on Wednesday. The Malaysian stunned the world No. 42 Japanese shuttler 21-8, 21-19 to book her spot in the second round. Okuhara was the 2017 world champion, former world No. 1, and a bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics. "It's a good win for Letshanaa. I hope she gains confidence from this and continues to develop her game," said Rashid, a member of Malaysia's 1992 Thomas Cup-winning team, after a recording session of Timesport: On the Beat at Balai Berita on Wednesday. "She's not getting any younger, so she must start proving herself on the World Tour. "It's not every day that a shuttler beats a former or current world champion and Olympic medallist. "My advice to Letshanaa is simple — keep fighting and winning on tour to reach the next level. "She's been part of the national team for a few years now, and it's not enough to just compete. She needs to show real progress and start winning titles. "She can't keep saying she's young — the commitment and consistency must be there. This win is a good platform, and she must build on it." Letshanaa will next face world No. 49 Aakarshi Kashyap of India in the second round on Thursday. The full podcast episode featuring Rashid Sidek will be available next week on YouTube, Spotify, Audioplus, and Apple Podcasts.
Malay Mail
11 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Not the best team, but the fittest: Here's how extreme heat could steal 2026 World Cup
LOS ANGELES, June 26 — Furnace-like heat and the threat of thunder and lightning are wreaking havoc at the Club World Cup — and more of the same is likely at the 2026 World Cup. With the latest in a series of brutal, climate change-driven record heatwaves blanketing the eastern United States, adapting to the weather has become a key focus for coaches and players. Borussia Dortmund took the unusual step of leaving their substitutes in the dressing room for the first half of their game against Mamelodi Sundowns in Cincinnati, rather than have them sitting on the bench in blazing sunshine. Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca meanwhile cut short his team's training session in Philadelphia on Monday as the City of Brotherly Love baked in temperatures of 37.2 degrees Celsius. Dortmund coach Niko Kovac, meanwhile, said the weather could ultimately shape the destiny of the tournament. 'I think that this tournament will be decided not by the best team, but the team that can adapt to these weather conditions the best. They will probably win this tournament,' Kovac said. While cooling breaks midway through each half have become standard during the tournament, Dortmund, like other teams, are taking extra steps to mitigate the heat and humidity. 'Our boys are very well taken care of by our doctors and the medical staff,' Kovac said. 'We have very cold towels. We put them in ice baths. The boys also need to cool down their legs and their feet in cold water and ice baths.' The experience of the Club World Cup is likely a preview of what can be expected at next year's men's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. A recent study published by the International Journal of Biometeorology warned of the risk posed by extreme heat at the tournament for players and spectators, citing climate change as a cause of 'extreme heat' events that were 'more frequent and intense'. Storm disruptions The study analysing data gathered between 2003-2022 concluded that 14 of the 16 host cities being used for the 2026 World Cup experienced temperatures that frequently exceeded the commonly accepted safe thresholds for wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) — a widely used measure for heat stress. The study argued for games to be scheduled outside of the afternoon windows when conditions were typically at their most demanding. In addition to the fierce heat and humidity, teams at the Club World Cup have also had to deal with matches being halted due to the threat of lightning. On Tuesday, Boca Juniors' game against Auckland City became the fifth match of the tournament to experience a lengthy delay due to public safety regulations used in the United States that mandate play is halted whenever lightning is within 16.1 kilometres of a stadium. A weather delay in Benfica's game against Auckland led to an interruption in play of nearly two hours. National Weather Service official Ben Schott, who advises FIFA and the US World Cup taskforce for 2026, says the kind of weather affecting the ongoing competition is not out of the ordinary, and said teams and fans next year should plan accordingly. 'Nothing that we're seeing right now is unusual even though we are breaking records,' Schott told AFP. 'Most of the eastern United States is breaking records, and then that happens almost every summer. To expect something similar next year as a possibility is something that people should prepare for if you're going to come and enjoy the games.' While heat was an issue when the United States last hosted the World Cup finals in 1994, no games at that tournament were halted by storm warnings. That is due to increasingly sophisticated forecasting technology, Schott said. 'We're at a point now where we can start to see things almost a week in advance and predict them pretty accurately, as compared to 15-20 years ago,' Schott said. 'The advances in meteorology since we last had the World Cup here in 1994 have been substantial.' Schott said thunder and lightning were 'par for the course' in several regions of North America. 'This is pretty typical for United States weather for this time of the year,' Schott said. 'We get a lot of moisture that pumps in from the Gulf of Mexico, and they get the afternoon thunderstorms pop up. 'So as we move towards World Cup 2026, things that we're seeing right now would be quite typical to be seen again.' Football's world governing body Fifa said in a statement to AFP that 'the health of everyone involved in football' was a 'top priority', pointing to the implementation of measures such as cooling breaks and the use of up to six substitutions if a match goes into extra time. 'Fifa will continue to monitor the weather conditions in coordination with the venue teams to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved,' the statement added. —AFP
The Star
11 hours ago
- The Star
Letshanaa won't carried away after stunner over former world champion Okuhara
Letshanaa reacts during the National Junior Finals in Seremban. PETALING JAYA: It is always satisfying to defeat a more established opponent, especially one who is a former world champion. But women's singles shuttler K. Letshanaa is not getting carried away with her first-round triumph over 2017 world champion Nozomi Okuhara at the US Open on Wednesday. Instead, she knows that consistency is what truly matters. Letshanaa needed just 31 minutes to send the Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist packing with an emphatic 21-8, 21-19 win. Her teammate Wong Ling Ching also delivered a fine performance by edging fourth seed Hsu Wen-chi of Taiwan 21-17, 19-21, 22-20 in a hard-fought three-game battle. Former men's singles player Roslin Hashim believes the victories are a timely morale boost for Malaysia's women's singles camp, which has long been seen as one of the weaker departments in the national squad. Roslin hopes the wins will give Letshanaa and Ling Ching the belief they need to climb the world rankings steadily. 'This is a very encouraging sign for the women's singles squad,' said Roslin. 'Even if Okuhara was not at her best, the fact remains that Letshanaa managed to defeat a former world champion. That is a positive result and it shows that our women's singles players still have potential. 'But they must not become complacent. Too often, we see our players beat a big name only to fall at the next hurdle. What is important now is for them to stay consistent.' Letshanaa will now aim to prove that her win over Okuhara was no fluke when she takes on India's Aakarshi Kashyap in the second round. It will be their first meeting, and their world rankings are close, with Aakarshi placed just one spot above Letshanaa at No. 50. Ling Ching will face Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova, who is ranked No. 75 in the world. Malaysia also have representation in the men's singles through Justin Hoh, who will take on Taiwan's Liao Jhuo-fu in the second round. Justin had earlier cruised past Belgium's Julien Carragi 21-10, 21-10 in just 27 minutes.
