Notorious draught is a bigger enemy for Jun Hao
KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttler Leong Jun Hao will have to worry more about the notorious draught at the Singapore Indoor Stadium than his Chinese opponent, Lei Lan Xi, at the Singapore Open which begins tomorrow.
National coaching director Kenneth Jonassen said the draught will dictate play at the venue, and it is not just a headache for world No. 25 Jun Hao, but also his rivals.
World No. 27 Lan Xi had lost in the first round of all the four tournaments he played this year, but was a runner-up at the Hong Kong Open in September last year.
However, Jonassen is more concerned about the ability of Jun Hao to adapt to the stadium's conditions, which the Dane said are almost similar to Axiata Arena which is also known for its draught.
"The draught dictates the playing style — which is a great test and the stadium is one of the unique places to play like our own Axiata Arena," he said.
World No. 239 Ng Tze Yong will miss the Singapore Open and Indonesia Open on June 3-8 after picking up a knee strain during the recent Malaysia Masters.
This leaves Jun Hao as the only Malaysian singles shuttler playing in Singapore as independent Goh Jin Wei, the world No. 44, has not entered for the tournament.
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