Justin's lack of results a cause for concern
PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Justin Hoh's early exit from the Canadian Open has raised concerns, especially as he is regarded as one of the national team's most promising young talents.
The 20-year-old fell to Taiwan's Wang Po-wei 23-25, 10-21 in the first round at the Markham Pan Am Centre in Ontario on Wednesday, bringing a disappointing end to his campaign in North America.
Just a week earlier, Justin had also crashed out in the second round of the US Open after losing to another Taiwanese player, Liao Jhuo-fu.
The result hardly reflected the detailed preparation Justin had undergone, especially after he expressed his determination to repay the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) for investing heavily in his participation in the two tournaments.
On a broader scale, the 20-year-old has found it difficult to make a breakthrough at the higher level of the BWF World Tour since clinching the Saipan International title in the Northern Marianas last July.
His best outing this year came at the Taiwan Open in May, where he reached the quarter-finals, only to see his run ended, ironically, by yet another Taiwanese opponent, Wang Tzu-wei.
Former world No. 1 Roslin Hashim believes Justin's dip in form needs to be addressed urgently, warning that any delay could have a lasting impact, particularly on his confidence and mental state.
Roslin also feels that beyond sharpening his technique and on-court strategies, Justin must place greater focus on strengthening his mental fortitude to bounce back from the string of poor results he has suffered recently.
'Justin is still a player with plenty of potential, but I feel he needs to overcome the mental hurdles he's facing on court, as these issues can have a significant impact on his performance,' said Roslin.
'Suffering defeat after defeat is never ideal for any player, it can slowly eat away at their spirit and confidence.
'That's why I sincerely hope that, alongside improving his game, Justin is also given the psychological support he needs to strengthen his mental resilience when he steps onto the court,' said Roslin.
Despite Justin Hoh's early exit, Malaysia still have three shuttlers keeping the challenge alive at the Canadian Open.
Eogene Ewe, who battled through two qualifying matches, was handed a first-round walkover after Japan's Takuma Obayashi withdrew, giving him a timely breather ahead of his second-round clash against Germany's Matthias Kicklitz.
In the women's singles, Wong Ling Ching stole the spotlight by pulling off a stunning upset over fifth seed Line Christophersen of Denmark, winning 12-21, 21-18, 21-18. She will next face Spain's Clara Azurmendi.
Joining her in the second round is compatriot K. Letshanaa, who looked sharp in her opening match, cruising past American Ishika Jaiswal 21-13, 21-5. Letshanaa will take on India's Shriyanshi Valishetty next.
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