PETALING JAYA: What once felt distant is now within reach for Leong Jun Hao.
Despite falling short of his first semi-final of the year at the Hong Kong Open, men’s singles coach K. Yogendran believes his charge is edging closer to the world’s elite.
Jun Hao pushed world No. 4 Li Shifeng to the limit in Friday’s quarter-finals before losing 20-22, 21-14, 20-22. Yogendran, however, saw plenty of positives.
“He played well, stuck to the game plan, and did what he was supposed to.
“In the end, luck didn’t favour him in the crucial points. That’s the nature of the game,” said Yogendran.
“All I can tell him is to stay strong, trust the process, and keep going.”
The narrow defeat mirrored Jun Hao’s World Championships loss last month, where he also went down by a few points.
But with growing confidence, Yogendran hopes the 25-year-old can carry his form into the China Masters in Shenzhen this week.
There, Jun Hao faces Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting – a former world No. 2, Olympic bronze medallist and Asian champion.
Ginting leads their head-to-head 2-1 but is still regaining sharpness after a six-month layoff with a shoulder injury.
“This is a good opportunity for Jun Hao,” said Yogendran.
“He’s already closing in on the world’s top 20. If he maintains this form, he can do even better in the upcoming tournaments.”
