SINGAPORE, May 27 — National men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao crashed out in the first round of the Singapore Open 2026 yesterday, marking his fifth opening-round exit in six tournaments this year.
Jun Hao’s campaign came to an end after he fell to Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia Hao 21-18, 20-22, 8-21 in a 54-minute battle at the Singapore Indoor Stadium here today.
The world number 26 admitted that he lost consistency during the second set after his opponent picked up the gameplay to win the set.
“I tried to chase him in the second set but in the end, I could not get the game while in the rubber set, he (Chia Hao) was more comfortable in his game to win the match.
“I think I need to be more consistent and the coach also told me I should maintain my consistency during the game,” he told Bernama after the match.
In the women’s singles, Wong Ling Ching also suffered an early exit after losing in straight sets to Japan’s Riko Gunji, 20-22, 17-21, in 48 minutes.
The world number 34 said she was not at her best in her debut at the Super 750 tournament.
“I think overall I am not satisfied, but I tried my best in my first time here. It was quite a good experience.
“There are still a lot of areas in my skills and game plan to improve. For me, I think I am not very good at controlling the wind, and this is the most important thing I need to work on,” she said.
Earlier, mixed doubles pair Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin upset the top-seeded Chinese world number one Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping 23-21, 21-16 in 43 minutes.
Jimmy said the key to their victory was a strategy of remaining patient yet aggressive to counter the top-seeded Chinese duo’s shots.
Meanwhile, in the men’s doubles pair meet, Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai defeated Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong in straight sets 21-15, 21-17. — Bernama
