Malaysia's Leong Jun Hao hits a return against Japan's Takuma Obayashi during their men's singles match on the second day of the Japan Open badminton tournament at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo on August 21, 2024. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao has a good chance to move up as the country’s No. 2 player if he rides on his good start in the Japan Open.
World No. 27 Jun Hao defeated Takuma Obayashi of Japan 21-15, 21-17 in the first round in Yokohama yesterday.
He will take on Kodai Naraoka next for a place in the quarter-finals.
Currently, the 25-year-old Jun Hao is lying in third spot behind world No. 6 Lee Zii Jia and world No. 22 Ng Tze Yong. With Tze Yong only expected to return to competitive action next year as he is recovering from a back injury, the path is open for Jun Hao to move up.
A good showing in the Japan Open will surely propel Jun Hao’s rise in the world ranking.
Meanwhile, it was a good day for Malaysia in the men’s doubles as both Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and independent shuttlers Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi won their opening matches.
They, however, will take on each other in the second round, but at least one ticket is assured for Malaysia in the quarter-finals.
Said coach Tan Bin Shen: “So far, it’s good with Wei Chong and Kai Wun. They have been training without any tournaments for the last two months.”
“Our goal for them in the second half of this year is to win tournaments and make the top 10 in the world.”
The duo are currently ranked 17th in the world.
It was mixed fortunes for Malaysia in the mixed doubles as Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei made it to the second round but the challenge for the husband and wife pairing Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai ended.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei, who reached the quarter-finals of their first Olympic Games in Paris recently, beat Liu Kuang-heng-Jheng-Yu-chieh of Taiwan 21-19, 21-14 but China’s Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi knocked out Soon Huat-Shevon 21-12, 21-18.
World No. 9 Tang Jie-Ee Wei will face Mads Vestergaard-Christine Busch of Denmark next and should make it to the quarter-finals.
Olympians Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah recovered from a sluggish start to beat Hu Ling-fang-Jheng Yu-chieh 21-17, 22-24, 21-11 to set up a meeting against Denmark’s Julie Finne-Ipsen-Mai Surrow of Denmark.
