PETALING JAYA: Nerves got the better of Leong Jun Hao in his debut All-England.
Jun Hao, who lost 11-21, 19-21 to defending champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the first round of the men's singles event, took his disappointing experience in his first All-England in his stride.
"I felt that I needed to perform well and put pressure on him (Jonatan), but from the start, I was nervous and struggled to control some of my shots," said Jun Hao in a post match interview with Badminton World Federation (BWF).
"In the second game, I tried to speed up the pace and manage my emotions better. I was more patient, which helped me score more points compared to the first game.
It was also over for Lee Zii Jia, the 2021 champion, when he lost 21-19, 16-21, 12-21 to Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long.
With their defeats, Malaysia will not have any representatives in the men's singles event, making it one of the worst outing in the All-England.
