National men’s singles shuttler Justin Hoh. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: A leaky court disrupted Justin Hoh’s rhythm in the Macau Open final but men’s singles coach K. Yogendran insists they would not use it as an excuse.
Justin was bidding for his maiden World Tour title but had to contend with both Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan and poor playing conditions at the Macau East Asian Games Dome.
He went down 15-21, 5-21 on Sunday (Aug 3).
Persistent water leakage onto the court forced frequent interruptions, with players repeatedly calling for attendants to mop the surface between rallies.
Yogendran revealed that the slippery conditions particularly affected Justin’s movement, given that he is still on the comeback trail after a serious Achilles tendon injury last year.
“There was water leaking on the court and it disrupted Justin’s rhythm in the final,” said Yogendran.
“We all know Justin had a serious injury and could not play for nearly a year.
"In his heart, he wanted to win but he was not brave to move the way he usually does.
"So, his movement was not smooth on court and that was one of the issues he faced.
"But this is not an excuse. We have to admit he lost to a better player."
Despite the defeat, Yogendran was happy with Justin's breakthrough outing after he made it into his first final in the World Tour.
The 21-year-old was also the first Malaysian in the men's singles to reach a World Tour final this year.
"Overall, it has been a good week for Justin. He beat a few players whom he had struggled against previously to reach the final," said Yogendran.
"This is a good process for him. After so long, he has got back his rhythm and game play. At least he knows now where he stands.
"Moving forward, we will keep working to improve his weaknesses and help him achieve more."
Justin will be hoping to build on his positive showing after struggling to make an impression in the World Tour before this.
This year, the youngster's best result before this was reaching the quarter-finals in the Taiwan Open.
