PETALING JAYA: National men’s singles shuttler Justin Hoh is taking a step back in hopes of moving forward after the coaching team decided to send him to lower-tier tournaments to rebuild his confidence.
The world No. 46 was withdrawn from the Japan Masters this week and instead sent to compete in the Super 100 Taiwan Masters in Kaohsiung City following a string of disappointing results this year.
Justin, however, has no complaints about the decision and believes competing in lower-tier tournaments could help him rediscover his form.
“We discussed this before and the coaches wanted me to play in lower-tier tournaments to rebuild my confidence,” said the 22-year-old Justin.
“Hopefully, I can achieve some good results.
“Although I haven’t performed well in recent tournaments, I’m still looking forward to what’s ahead as there will be more tournaments next year.
“I might even get the chance to play in Super 1000 events, so my focus for the rest of this year is to improve my world ranking.”
However, dropping down to lower-tier tournaments has not necessarily made things easier for Justin.
Last month, he competed in two Super 100 events, the Malaysian Masters in Iskandar Puteri and the Indonesian Masters in Kudus, but failed to progress beyond the third round in either tournament.
His campaign at the Taiwan Masters remains on track, although he benefited from the retirement of opponent Samuel Lee in the second round at the Kaohsiung Arena yesterday while leading 21-13, 9-9.
Justin will face compatriot Huan Kai Hern today for a place in the quarter-finals, with the 22-year-old facing a different kind of pressure as the tournament’s top seed.
“It’s been a long time since I last entered a tournament as the top seed because I’ve been playing in bigger events lately.
“Previously, I went into tournaments as the underdog, but this time I’m the top seed.
“Every tournament brings different pressure, so I don’t want to say too much. I just want to do my best,” said Justin.
Justin has not won a title in two years, with his last success coming at the Saipan International in the Northern Mariana Islands in 2024.
His closest attempt at another title came at last year’s Macau Open, where he finished runner-up after losing to Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan in the final.
