KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — National men’s singles ace Leong Jun Hao and women’s singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei were shown the exit in the second round of the 2024 Malaysia Masters at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil here today.
Jun Hao fell 15-21, 16-21 to third seed Li Shi Feng of China while Jin Wei went down 10-21, 14-21 to Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
In tomorrow’s quarter-finals, Shi Feng will square off against Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long while Busanan will face off against Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia.
The 25-year-old Jun Hao, meanwhile, admitted to finding it difficult to repel Shi Feng’s attacks although he knew what to expect in their second meeting, having lost to the China shuttler in the recent Thomas Cup Finals.
“I tried not to let him pull away but maybe I’m guilty of overthinking...,” he said.
Asked if he felt hard done by having to meet the world number six in the second round, Jun Hao said it was something he has to face in his quest to be a better player, adding that he now frequently competes in higher level tournaments, with the Singapore Open next week his next destination.
Meanwhile, Jin Wei admitted to struggling to focus on her game today, saying she’s still trying to understand why that is so.
Jin Wei, who has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics in July, will, however, continue to draw up a plan suitable for her by undergoing training in Kuala Lumpur with her coach Nova Armada/
“I need to raise my overall game... nothing specific,” she said.
Jin Wei also said that she would meet the Malaysian chef de mission to the Paris Olympics, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin soon to discuss her requirements ahead of the quadrennial Games. — Bernama
