PETALING JAYA: Winning five titles in the second-half of this year has whetted men’s singles shuttler Justin Hoh’s (pic) appetite for more honours.
His first assignment next year is the Estonian Open from Jan 12-15 but the ultimate goal is to make the top 100.
“I don’t have an off-season because I’m preparing for Estonia,” said Justin, who is ranked 172nd in the world.
“I usually spend three hours at the court in the morning and another three hours in the gym in the afternoon. I want to be well prepared.”
The 18-year-old won the national Under-21 title in May before winning his first two senior titles at the Bonn International (Germany) and the Croatian Open in June.
He went on to win the Indian Junior International Series in August and the Malaysian International Challenge last Saturday.
However, there were a few minor blips. Justin was forced to retire from the Malaysian Junior International Series semi-final against Japan’s Yudai Okimoto after sustaining a leg injury in September.
It affected his performance in the subsequent tournament when he crashed out in the fourth round of the World Junior meet in October.
Justin, who was promoted to the senior squad a month ago, was pleased with his overall display this year.
“I did not compete in the first half of the year, but I won five out of eight tournaments in the second half.
“Hopefully, there will be more to come next year and I’m aiming to break into the top 100 within the next half year.”
