KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao has firmly established himself as a giant slayer at the Super 500 Kumamoto Masters in Japan.
The former Asian junior champion (2017) has already claimed impressive victories over world number 17 Lakshya Sen of India in the first round and world number 11 Koki Watanabe of Japan in the second round.
Today, Jun Hao added another feather to his cap, defeating world number four Kodai Naraoka in a thrilling quarter-final match. His 21-17, 9-21, 21-16 triumph has earned him a spot in his first-ever Super 500 semi-finals.
This victory also marks the 25-year-old Malaysian’s third win against Naraoka in their four meetings, a rivalry that dates back to their junior days.
Jun Hao, who previously told Scoop that achieving a breakthrough next season is pivotal for his career, will now face Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie in the semi-finals. Christie, the reigning All England champion, edged out Malaysia’s top men’s singles player, Lee Zii Jia, 12-21, 21-18, 21-18 in another quarter-final clash.
“It’s definitely not a fluke if I can beat three big names in a row. Of course, this adds to my confidence,” Jun Hao told Scoop.
“But the job is far from over. I’ve played Jonatan before, and it won’t be easy.
“The key will be patience; it made the difference in my previous matches. I hope to use the Kumamoto Masters as a stepping stone ahead of the new season,” he added.
On paper, Jun Hao and Jonatan are evenly matched, with their head-to-head record tied at 1-1.
Earlier this year, Jun Hao defeated Jonatan in a three-game thriller at the Super 1000 Indonesia Open.
However, the world number six avenged that loss in the first round of the Super 750 Denmark Open last month. — November 15, 2024