KUALA LUMPUR: Men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao will be hoping lightning strikes twice at the Kumamoto Masters, where he produced a stunning run to the final last year.
The world No. 22 shocked a string of top players, including India’s world No. 15 Lakshya Sen, Japan’s Koki Watanabe (No. 25) and Kodai Naraoka (No. 10), and Indonesia’s world No. 5 Jonatan Christie, before losing to China‘s world No. 4 Li Shi Feng in the final.
But instead of building on that breakthrough, the former Asian Junior champion returns to Japan this week with a point to prove.
Since his heroics 12 months ago, Jun Hao has only managed two quarter-final appearances and has crashed out in the first or second round of 16 other tournaments.
A packed BWF World Tour calendar means just two top-10 players — world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan and Naraoka — will feature in Kumamoto after Thailand’s world No. 3 Kunlavut Vitidsarn withdrew on Tuesday.
Still, Jun Hao must overcome his familiar inconsistency to take advantage of a relatively open field.
His draw is hardly ideal.
The 24-year-old faces veteran H. S. Prannoy of India in the first round. Though ranked world No. 34, Prannoy’s experience could make it a tricky contest.
The pair’s head-to-head record stands at 1-1, but Jun Hao will need to summon the same fighting spirit that lit up last year’s campaign if he hopes to advance.
Victory could set up a second-round clash with Indonesia’s fast-rising Alwi Farhan, though Jun Hao insists his focus remains firmly on Prannoy.
Meanwhile, world No. 37 Justin Hoh, who has been working on adding speed and variety to his strokes, failed to apply those changes at the Korea Masters, where he lost to eventual runner-up Yudai Okimoto of Japan in the opening round.
Justin now faces a tough start in Kumamoto, likely against Denmark’s world No. 73 Magnus Johannesen, the Hylo Open runner-up two weeks ago, in Wednesday’s first round.
In the women’s singles, world No. 42 K. Letshanaa and 64th-ranked Wong Ling Ching are both expected to clear their opening hurdles.
Letshanaa should have little trouble against world No. 71 Keisha Fatimah Azzahra of Azerbaijan, while Ling Ching will take on a qualifier in her first-round match.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
