Latest news with #Jonassen
The Star
6 hours ago
- General
- The Star
Tze Yong's injury an issue for Jonassen in plan to assemble strong Thomas Cup squad
PETALING JAYA: National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen is fully aware that the injury to his charge, Ng Tze Yong, could disrupt his plans to assemble the strongest line-up for the 2026 Thomas Cup. Although the tournament in Horsens, Denmark, is still about a year away, scheduled for April or May, Jonassen knows time is running short to build a formidable men's singles squad capable of mounting a strong challenge at the prestigious team competition. What makes the task even more daunting is his own admission that it would take a near miracle for any up-and-coming player to impress him enough to earn a spot in the Thomas Cup squad. At present, the men's singles squad comprise just five players, among them Leong Jun Hao, Justin Hoh, Eogene Ewe and young talent Kong Zhou Swin, who was recently promoted to the senior team. As such, Jonassen and the singles coaching team are focused on sharpening the skills of these existing players to ensure they are able to compete with the top names in the sport. 'Now, the injury to Tze Yong obviously affects things a little, but we'll see. Overall, I'm working towards a goal where we can produce a line-up that's capable of challenging the best. 'Of course, purely based on world rankings, we're not at the level of the top nations. They are ranked much higher, and unless we do something spectacular over the next eight to 10 months, we won't surpass them in the rankings. 'With less than 12 months to go before this major championship, I would be very surprised if a junior player could make the kind of progress needed to perform at that level. So we'll be coming in as underdogs. But for me, it's about being able to deliver a strong performance, and potentially that crucial win, on the day it matters most,' said Jonassen. At the same time, Jonassen is not ready to disclose the details of Tze Yong's injury, despite rumours that the 25-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during his first-round match against Angus Ng Ka Long at the Malaysian Masters two weeks ago. It is a tough situation for Tze Yong, who only made his return in April after a year-long break due to a back injury. The injury sustained by Tze Yong has forced him to withdraw from last week's Singapore Open and this week's Indonesian Open.
The Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Kenneth tinkering with idea to make Leong consistent
PETALING JAYA: Beating a world-class opponent is one thing but doing it consistently is another altogether. That's the challenge national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen is tackling as he looks to help Leong Jun Hao sustain his momentum on the international stage. Consistency remains one of the most glaring issues for Jun Hao, despite his ability to trouble and even defeat higher-ranked opponents. His performance at the Singapore Open, however, offered a glimmer of promise. Jonassen was encouraged by the 25-year-old's run, which saw him reach his first quarter-final of the season, a milestone that had eluded him until now. What made the feat sweeter was Jun Hao's straight-game win over world No. 5 and former Asian champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the second round. But the Malaysian was unable to build on that momentum, falling tamely to another Asian champion, Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand. Jonassen is well aware of this issue, and it is an area that he and the other coaches are looking to help Jun Hao improve on. 'I'm of course pleased with the win (against Jonatan) and performance, and reaching the quarter-finals is a bonus, it should boost confidence and help build some momentum. 'This is true about Jun Hao's inconsistency. After one good win, we're struggling to deliver another high-quality performance the next day and adapt to a new, tough opponent. That's an area we definitely need to improve on,' said Jonassen. Jun Hao, who has now climbed to No. 25 in the world rankings, has already claimed the scalps of several top players, including world No. 7 Kodai Naraoka during the Sudirman Cup campaign in Xiamen last April. He also stunned world No. 4 Li Shifeng of China in the opening round of the India Open in January. Previously, Jun Hao struggled with slow starts, often finding himself having to work hard to close a significant gap after falling behind early in matches. He has a chance to improve his game at the Indonesian Open next Tuesday, where he will face Lei Lanxi of China in the first round. Ironically, just a few days ago, Jun Hao defeated the world No. 27 in the Singapore Open opener.
New Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Jonassen feels the heat after Malaysia Masters whitewash
KUALA LUMPUR: Pressure has always been part of national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen's job, and it was no different this week as his charges once again failed to deliver on home soil. The Dane admitted it was tough to watch all his players crash out in the first round of the Malaysia Masters, following a similar outcome at the Malaysia Open in January. World No. 25 Leong Jun Hao, Justin Hoh (world No. 45), Ng Tze Yong (No. 239) and women's world No. 51 K. Letshanaa all suffered early exits, leaving Jonassen frustrated but focused on the bigger picture. "I always feel the pressure because I want to see my shuttlers win," said Jonassen. "My job is to find the positives, even in defeat, and move on. "Of course I'm disappointed. We don't like to lose, especially when the players don't fully capitalise on the opportunities created on court." Despite the setbacks, Jonassen insists he will stick to their long-term development goals. "We always make minor adjustments when we learn something new, but we don't stray from our development path. That's how you grow and move forward." The biggest concern now is Tze Yong, who is in a precarious situation after suffering a knee injury against Hong Kong's Angus Ng on Wednesday. The 24-year-old — still searching for his first win since returning from two back surgeries — took the opening game 22-20 and was leading 4-3 in the second before limping off court. His participation in next week's Singapore Open is now in serious doubt. "I can't comment yet on the extent of the injury," said Jonassen. "But I'd say this was his best level since the comeback. He was playing aggressively. "It's one of the worst things to see a player walk off with an injury." Jun Hao, meanwhile, was carrying a minor elbow injury and struggled in his 10-21, 21-18, 21-9 defeat to Ireland's Nhat Nguyen (world No. 33). Justin also found the going tough against Japan's world No. 8 Kodai Naraoka, falling 21-14, 22-20. Letshanaa showed fight but was edged by China's world No. 48 Han Qian Xi 10-21, 21-18, 21-9. "Jun Hao lacked consistency in the second and third games, and at this level you can't let your opponent take control," said Jonassen. "I've never seen Justin this tense before, but that's normal in your first big gave everything in the second game, but Naraoka's experience proved decisive." On Letshanaa, Jonassen added: "She did everything right but hit a wall, which can happen when the desire to win becomes too overwhelming. It's a lesson she'll learn from." Jonassen will continue monitoring Jun Hao's progress in training over the next two days before deciding whether to allow him to play in the Singapore Open.
The Star
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Bad day in the office for Jun Hao, Tze Yong and Justin as all fall in opener
PETALING JAYA: It was far from a good day for Malaysia's men's singles shuttlers at the Malaysian Masters as all three representatives crashed out in the first round. What made it more disappointing was the fact that injuries derailed their progress just as they were beginning to show promising form. The biggest blow came when Ng Tze Yong, who had only recently returned from a back injury, suffered a right knee injury while leading against Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long yesterday. Tze Yong tried to continue but was forced to retire with the score at 22-20, 4-3 in his favour. Earlier, teammate Leong Jun Hao also exited the tournament after going down 21-10, 18-21, 9-21 to Ireland's Nhat Nguyen. While he did not suffer a fresh injury, the 25-year-old had only recently recovered from a right arm injury and was unable to perform at his best. Meanwhile, Justin Hoh, who earned a last-minute slot in the tournament, gave a commendable fight against world No. 8 Anders Antonsen of Denmark before bowing out 14-21, 20-22. National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen admitted that he was far from pleased with the outcome, especially after all three players showed good effort on court. But he also acknowledged that in badminton, winning is ultimately what matters. A dampener: Ng Tze Yong writhing in pain after injuring his right knee during the match against Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star 'When we're having a tough day like today, overall, of course, I'm not content, I'm not happy. We're here to win badminton matches,' said Kenneth. 'We gave a fighting show. These tournaments are also a chance to gain some additional knowledge about each player and what we're lacking. 'I definitely found some quite interesting things, though I haven't discussed them with the players in detail yet before I can share with anybody else. 'I like the fighting style. I like that we gave ourselves a chance. But of course, we're in the business of winning badminton matches. We still have a long way to go,' said Jonassen. At the same time, Jonassen was unable to provide a detailed assessment of Tze Yong's injury but expressed hope that it was not a serious one. 'The initial test done here shows that something definitely happened, but we'll have to wait for the scan results tomorrow before we can make a proper statement on the situation. 'After reviewing the video of the incident, I'm still staying positive. Hopefully, it's just a minor scare, some tension around the area and we can move on from it quickly. 'But for now, we'll have to wait to see what the doctor says,' he added. Based on the initial schedule, Tze Yong was supposed to compete in the Singapore Open starting next Tuesday. It was an unfortunate incident, especially as Jonassen felt that Tze Yong had been performing well up to that point. He believed it was one of the player's best displays since recovering from his previous injury. FIRST ROUND RESULTS Malaysians unless stated Men's singles: Kodai Naraoka (Jpn) bt Justin Hoh 21-14, 22-20; K. Srikanth (Ind) bt Lu Guangzu (Chn) 23-21, 13-21, 21-11; K. Satish Kumar (Ind) bt Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) 21-13, 21-14; Christo Popov (Fra) bt Jason Gunawan (Hkg) 21-17, 21-18; H. S. Prannoy (Ind) bt Kenta Nishimoto (Jpn) 19-21, 21-17, 21-16; Toma Junior Popov (Fra) bt Wang Zhengxing (Chn) 21-17, 21-8; Ayush Shetty (Ind) bt Brian Yang (Can) 20-22, 21-10, 21-8; Nhat Nguyen (Ire) bt Leong Jun Hao 10-21, 21-18, 21-9; Angus Ng Ka Long (Hkg) bt Ng Tze Yong 20-22, 3-4, rtd, Li Shifeng (Chn) bt Kantaphon Wangcharoen (Tha) 21-9, 21-8; Jason Teh (Sin) bt Priyanshu Rajawat (Ind) 21-15, 21-16. Men's doubles: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bt Chiu Hsiang-chieh-Wang Chi-lin (Tpe) 21-19, 21-15; Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing bt William Kryger Boe-Christian Faust Kjaer (Den) 12-21, 21-11, 21-17. Women's singles: Han Qianxi (Chn) bt K. Letshanaa 10-21, 21-19, 21-12; Wang Zhiyi (Chn) bt Asuka Takahashi (Jpn) 21-13, 21-10; Nguyen Thuy Linh (Vie) bt P. V. Sindhu (Ind) 21-11, 14-21, 21-15; Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) bt Goh Jin Wei 21-7, 21-15; Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) bt Hina Akechi (Jpn) 21-14, 21-19; Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Tung Ciou-tong (Tpe) 21-14, 21-12; Michelle Li (Can) bt Sung Shuo-yun (Tpe) 21-10, 21-11. Women's doubles: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah bt Fan Ka Yan-Yau Mau Ying (Hkg) 21-17, 21-16; Febriana Dwipuji-Amallia Cahaya (Ina) bt Li Wenmei-Wang Yiduo (Chn) 21-15, 19-21, 21-10; Tidapron Kleebyeesun-Nattamon Laisuan (Tha) bt Sung Yi-hsuan-Yang Yi-hsun (Tpe) 17-21, 21-13, 22-20. Mixed doubles: Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien bt Supak Jomkoh-Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn (Tha) 22-20, 21-19; Loo Bing Kun-Toh Ee Wei bt Lu Mingche-Hung En-tzu (Tpe) 20-22, 21-18, 21-15; Mads Vestergaard-Christine Busch (Den) bt Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie 21-18, 21-19; Ye Hong-wei-Nicole Chan (Tpe) bt Jasper Toft-Amelie Magelund (Den) 21-19, 21-15; Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran (Tha) bt Chang Ko-chi-Lin Jhih-yun (Tpe) 21-12, 21-13; Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin (Chn) bt Ashith Surya-Amrutha Pramuthesh (Ind) 21-12, 21-10; Guo Xinwa-Chen Fanghui (Chn) bt Rohan Kapoor-Shivani Gadde (Ind) 21-10, 21-14; Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi (Chn) bt Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei 22-20, 21-15.
New Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Jonassen: Tze Yong's injury not due to fatigue, just bad luck [WATCH]
KUALA LUMPUR: National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen is keeping his fingers crossed that Ng Tze Yong's latest injury is not serious, after the shuttler was forced to retire from his opening match at the Malaysia Masters on Wednesday. Tze Yong had taken the first game 22-20 against Hong Kong's world No. 21 Angus Ng at the Axiata Arena but was forced to stop while leading 4-3 in the second after landing awkwardly and clutching his right knee. "It's the worst thing — seeing your player leave the court due to injury," said Jonassen. "We're maintaining a positive mindset and hope it's nothing major. We'll wait for the scan results tomorrow before making any definitive statement." It was the 25-year-old's fourth World Tour appearance since returning from a 14-month layoff due to a back injury, with Tze Yong still searching for his first win since his comeback at last month's Badminton Asia Championships. Jonassen dismissed the notion that fatigue may have caused the knee injury. "I don't think it had anything to do with fatigue. It was a slip that made the difference," he said. "If we had gone deeper into the second game or into a third, then perhaps fatigue might have been a factor. "But all the matches he has played are opportunities to learn where he stands physically. It's a give and take." It was a forgettable day for the Malaysian singles camp, with Leong Jun Hao, Justin Hoh and K. Letshanaa also crashing out in the first round. Justin was outclassed by Japan's world No. 8 Kodai Naraoka, 21-14, 22-20. "When we're having a tough day like today, of course I'm not content or happy," said Jonassen. "We're here to win badminton matches. We put up a fighting performance, but at these tournaments, you also gain valuable insight into each player and where we are falling short. "I appreciated the fighting spirit — it gave us a chance — but ultimately, we're here to win."
