KUALA LUMPUR – National shuttler Leong Jun Hao is crossing his fingers for a stroke of luck as he gears up for the Malaysia Masters, set to kick off at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday.
This will be Jun Hao’s third shot at the tournament, having failed to advance to the main rounds after being eliminated in the qualifiers last year.
Despite promising performances, he failed to pass the first round in 2022, losing to Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen.
Jun Hao, now ranked 37th in the world, will skip the qualifiers this year.
However, he faces a formidable challenge in the first round against China’s Lei Lan Xi, whom he previously met and lost to at the Korea Masters.
“He (Lan Xi) is indeed a rising player, so I will do my homework and discuss with the coach to devise the best strategy against him.
“As for the draw, I don’t want to think too much because I prefer to focus on one match at a time.
“For this week, it’s not about avoiding mistakes, but more about luck during critical moments. I hope luck will be on my side this week if I face a critical situation again,” said Jun Hao, who has the opportunity to test the court at the Axiata Arena today.
Jun Hao is one of the country’s representatives in the men’s singles event in the Super 500 event alongside Lee Zii Jia, while two other players, Cheam June Wei and Soong Joo Ven, will compete in the qualifiers.
The last time a Malaysian men’s singles player successfully won this championship was through Datuk Lee Chong Wei in 2016. – May 19, 2024