PETALING JAYA: National men’s singles shuttler Justin Hoh (pic) is set to compete in higher-tier World Tour competitions if his speedy progress is anything to go by.
Justin, who had only been promoted to the senior squad in November, has exceeded expectations with his rapid development so far.
The 18-year-old has climbed 14 rungs from No. 84 to No. 70 in the latest world rankings after his semi-final finish in the recently concluded China Masters in Ruichang.
The tournament was Justin’s first World Tour Super 100 level event.
“Justin’s progress has been good,” said singles coaching director Wong Choong Hann.
“He has been riding high and has exceeded our expectations.
“If everything goes well for him, breaking into the top 40 and even top 30 is achievable for him.
While pleased with Justin’s development, Choong Hann believes it’s important to carefully manage his tournaments to ensure that the youngster continues on his upward trajectory.
“We will definitely send him for higher-tier World Tour tourneys like Super 300 and Super 500 level if he qualifies,” said Choong Hann.
“We have started grooming him early for this.
“At the same time, we need to manage his tournaments carefully.
“He needs some time to safely collect ranking points and also face tougher challenges.
“For now, he is doing well in International Challenge and World Tour Super 100 level competitions where there is a lot of room for him to create upsets as he faces players ranked between 60 and 150.
“When he reaches around top 40 in the world, he will find it more challenging and will need to dig deeper to keep progressing.
“At that point, Justin will know this and demand more from himself.”
Justin has also been entrusted with the task of winning at least a silver medal along with Leong Jun Hao in the individual event at the SEA Games in Cambodia from May 5-17.
