KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — National men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao pulled off a major upset in the 2024 Japan Masters when he sent home favourite and second seed Kodai Naraoka packing tin the quarter-finals in Kumamoto today.
The unseeded Jun Jao battled gallantly for one hour and 20 minutes to secure a 21-17, 9-21, 21-16 win over the Japanese ace and check into the semi-finals of the Super 500 tournament at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
This is world number 31 Jun Hao’s third win in four encounters against the world number four.
Another tricky test awaits Jun Hao in the last four as he will be up against Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, who had earlier staged a comeback to dispose of Malaysian professional shuttler Lee Zii Jia 12-21, 21-18, 21-18 in the quarter-finals.
The 25-year-old Jun Hao will be joined by two pairs — Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie (mixed doubles) and Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong (men’s doubles) in the last four tomorrow.
Third seeds Soon Huat-Shevon ousted Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito 21-16, 21-13 to set up a semi-final date with Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran.
Nur Mohd Azriyn-Wee Kiong, meanwhile, continued their fine momentum by prevailing 21-19, 21-19 against Taiwan’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang Chi Lin to set up a last-four clash against sixth-seeded Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi of Japan. — Bernama
