PETALING JAYA: Things could have turned out differently for men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao (pic) had he capitalised on his advantage in the opening game against world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn at the China Open yesterday.
While Kunlavut and Jun Hao are worlds apart in the current rankings, the Malaysian had the upper hand in their junior days, having beaten the Thai several times.
However, their latest encounter at Changzhou Olympics Sport Centres told a different story, as Jun Hao failed to make the most of his chance despite staging a fightback to take the lead, only to let it slip away.
The Malaysian admitted he was frustrated after his efforts to close out the first game fell short. That missed opportunity affected his focus, and Kunlavut quickly turned things around to take the opener 23-21.
A poor tactical decision also played a part in the defeat, as Jun Hao admitted that his attacks lost intensity even while he was leading Kunlavut.
“At first I was trailing, then I tried to be more aggressive to get more points. I managed to lead 19-17, but I couldn’t finish the game. From there, it probably affected my mindset a little.
“I didn’t really take my chances when I was leading 19-17. Even then, I felt I was playing more defensively,” said Jun Hao in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Things got worse in the second game as Jun Hao struggled to keep up, allowing Kunlavut to pull away and seal a 21-7 win to book his place in the quarter-finals.
Even so, Jun Hao felt his performance wasn’t as bad as it seemed, as he was still able to put up a fight against Kunlavut.
“In the second game, I was on the less favourable side of the court, so I just tried to do my best. Overall, I don’t think my performance was that bad,” said Jun Hao..
This was Jun Hao’s third straight defeat to Kunlavut, following earlier losses at the Thailand Open last year and the Singapore Open in May.
The world No. 26 will not be taking part in the Macau Open next week and will instead use the time to focus on his preparations for the World Championships in Paris starting on Aug 25.
