Justin admits injury phobia cost him shot at first World Tour title
The leaking roof at the Macau East Asian Games Dome forced constant court-mopping throughout the final, and world No 37 Justin said the slippery surface brought back memories of the injury that kept him out for almost a year.
The 20-year-old, who underwent surgery and a long rehabilitation, could offer only token resistance to Indonesia's world No 23 Alwi Farhan, losing 21-15, 21-5 in the final.
"I do have the phobia of injury, and the court was really slippery that day. I have to admit, it did affect me a bit mentally," said Justin.
"I even told my coach, 'I can't move properly on court.' I knew I had to accept the situation, but it's not an excuse — my opponent had to deal with the same conditions.
"I've been playing with that risk since the operation, because there's always the chance of the tendon snapping again. That was also playing on my mind. I'm still undergoing physio and rehab to avoid another injury."
Justin believes overcoming the fear is something he must work on himself, but says sports psychology sessions and the guidance of coaches Kenneth Jonassen and K Yogendran could help.
"The problem comes from within, so I need to address it — maybe through sports psychology or by reflecting and talking myself through it," he said.
'So far, I've discussed it with my coaches and we're trying to find a solution together. These things can happen again, so I need to adapt and be ready to perform better in the next tournament."
Despite the setback, Justin sees his run in Macau as progress.
"Overall, the Macau Open final is an improvement for me and a way of proving myself this year. Before this tournament, I wasn't performing well, so I really hope I can do better in the upcoming ones."
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