09-05-2025
Letshanaa rues self-doubt after near upset in Taiwan
KUALA LUMPUR: A lack of self-belief proved costly for K. Letshanaa as she narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot at the Taiwan Open on Friday.
The world No. 50 pushed world No. 15 Sim Yu Jin of South Korea all the way in their women's singles quarter-final clash but fell 21-16, 13-21, 21-15 after 54 minute.
Despite the defeat, Letshanaa can take pride in reaching her first-ever quarter-final at a Super 300 event.
The Malaysian admitted she was disappointed by her inability to trust herself in the decider, especially after trailing 13-11 before Yu Jin pulled away.
"I think I lacked belief that I could win today," said Letshanaa.
"She was calm and composed, while I was rushing for the kill and that was the difference."
"It wasn't a satisfying finish. There's still a lot of room for improvement, but it was a good experience, and I made good progress here."
Letshanaa, 20, should not be too hard on herself.
Yu Jin has been in red-hot form this year, reaching the finals of both the Indonesia Masters in January and last month's Badminton Asia Championships (BAC).
The Korean have defeated several top stars this year, including two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi, Olympic bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung and world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi.
