PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao's Japan Open campaign ended early after he went down to Frenchman Alex Lanier in the first round.
World No. 24 Jun Hao, who was Malaysia's sole representative in the singles in the tourney, found world No. 8 and defending champion Lanier a tough nut to crack and lost 12-21, 14-21 in 40 minutes at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Tuesday (July 15).
Jun Hao must next try to lift himself for the China Open, which starts next Tuesday (July 22) in Changzhou.
Meanwhile, Lanier would continue his bid to defend his title when he takes on Indonesia's Alwi Farhan in the second round.
