Jun Hao shows how tough he can be with comeback win over Lakshya

PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao showcased his grit on court after coming back from a game down to defeat higher-ranked Lakshya Sen of India at the Japan Masters yesterday.

World No. 31 Jun Hao upset No. 17 Lakhsya 20-22, 21-17, 21-16 in Kumamoto to advance into the second round.

The win was the 25-year-old’s second victory against the Indian shuttler, with Lakshya having won three of their previous five encounters.

Jun Hao showed strong attacking play, while Paris Olympic semi-finalist Lakshya’s unforced errors opened up opportunities for the Malaysian to launch a comeback in the second game.

Jun Hao will face either Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo or Japan’s Koki Watanabe in the second round.

Meanwhile, men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia also advanced to the second round after a narrow win over compatriot Justin Hoh.

World No. 7 Zii Jia took an hour and two minutes to take down No. 50 Justin to win 21-16, 12-21, 21-17 in their first professional meeting on court.

This was Zii Jia’s first match since suffering an ankle injury at the Arctic Open quarter-finals in Finland last month, and he will meet either Japan’s Koo Takahashi or Taiwan’s Su Li-yang in the second round.

Zii Jia will be hoping to do well in Japan after skipping the Denmark Open as he tries to qualify for the World Tour Finals.

The 26-year-old Zii Jia is currently in sixth in the Race to Hangzhou rankings and needs to stay in the top seven to make the cut.