KUALA LUMPUR: National women’s singles shuttler Wong Ling Ching served a stunner at the Kumamoto Masters in Japan by defeating Canada’s world No 15 player Michelle Li to clinch a quarter-final berth.
Ling Ching, who is ranked 63rd, took 63 minutes to defeat Michelle in three hard-fought games, winning 21-17, 16-21, 21-19 at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
This was Ling Ching’s biggest win in her career as it marks her first-ever appearance in the last eight of a World Tour Super 500 tournament.
It is also the first time in several years that a Malaysian women’s singles player has reached the quarter-finals of a Super 500 championship.
Her next opponent will be tougher as she faces former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand, who beat American world No 25 shuttler Zhang Beiwen earlier.
Ratchanok is currently ranked ninth in the world standings.