KUALA LUMPUR – Could Leong Jun Hao emerge as Malaysia’s potential third men’s singles player for the upcoming Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games?
Currently ranked 42nd in the world for men’s singles, Jun Hao showcased his talent by securing a spot in the main draw of the Super 500 Hong Kong Open today.
In a thrilling qualifying round, he triumphed over India’s Kiran George, who is ranked 39th and was fresh off a victory at last week’s Indonesia Masters.
This victory not only marked his second consecutive win against Kiran but also demonstrated his potential on the international stage.
In a closely contested match that lasted just under an hour, Jun Hao defeated Kiran in rubber sets, 21-14, 14-21, 22-20, after having beaten Canada’s Sheng Xiaodong, 21-15, 22-20.
This sets the stage for a first-round encounter with Thailand Masters champion Lin Chun-yi from Taiwan.
In contrast, another national men’s singles player, Cheam June Wei, faced a different fate as he failed to advance past the qualifying round, succumbing to Finland’s Kalle Koljonen.
Meanwhile, in women’s singles, S. Kisona secured her place in the main draw by defeating American Lauren Lam in straight sets, 23-21, 21-8.
The 2019 Sea Games gold medalist is now set to take on Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min in her next match.
The main draw also saw the entry of men’s doubles pair Chia Weijie-Liew Xun and mixed doubles duo Yap Roy King-Valeree Siow.
Unfortunately, Roy King’s journey was cut short as he and partner Junaidi Arif faced a formidable challenge and were defeated by the fifth-seeded Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan in the men’s doubles opening round.
In the same round, the fourth-seeded men’s doubles pair of Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi also experienced an early exit, falling to unseeded Japanese duo Keiichiro Matsui-Yoshinori Takeuchi.
In the women’s doubles category, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah lived up to expectations by defeating Germany’s Linda Efler-Isabel Lohau in rubber sets, 21-10, 16-21, 21-14.
However, compatriots Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien were eliminated by Japan’s Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara. – September 12, 2023