Malaysia’s men’s singles exit early again at the Malaysia Masters, but Letshanaa and Jin Wei advance to the second round.
FOR the second consecutive year, there will be no Malaysian representative in the second round of the Malaysia Masters after both Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh crashed out in the opening round of the 2026 edition here today.
Competing at the Unifi Arena, Bukit Jalil, world No. 25 Jun Hao put up a spirited fight before going down 19-21, 21-23 to China’s world No. 69 Hu Zhe An in a 54-minute battle.
The 26-year-old admitted he failed to capitalise on crucial moments during the match, which cost him dearly in their first-ever meeting.
The national number one also said that off-court issues, including reports linking him to disciplinary matters and absence from training sessions previously, had affected his performance.
“I think it’s not true to say it doesn’t bother me…from now on I’ll just try to be positive and do my best,” he told reporters at the mixed zone here.
Meanwhile, Justin failed to rise to the occasion as he was eliminated by Indonesian shuttler Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, 21-16, 21-14.
Justin said Anthony’s vast experience made the difference and left him struggling to settle into their first-ever meeting.
Meanwhile, two Malaysian women’s singles shuttler – national number one K. Letshanaa and professional player Goh Jin Wei – shone as they stormed in the second round.
Letshanaa was made to slog for 56 minutes before seeing off Amalie Schulz from Denmark, 21-13, 19-21, 21-15.
Letshanaa will face third seed from Japan, Tomoka Miyazaki, who prevailed against Taiwanese player Tung Ciou-Tong, 21-16, 21-16.
The world No. 32 said she was glad to overcome the pressure after dropping the second game and look forward to face Miyazaki in the next round tomorrow.
In the meantime, the unseeded Jin Wei stunned fourth seed from Thailand, Busanan Ongbamrungphan, 21-6, 16-21, 21-10.
Awaiting Jin Wei next is Ashmita Chaliha from India, who dispatched Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan from Indonesia, 21-16, 21-13.
However, hopes of seeing another Malaysian, Wong Ling Ching, advance to the second round did not materialise after she squandered a first-game advantage before falling to Vietnam’s seventh seed Nguyen Thuy Linh 21-12, 13-21, 23-25 in 71 minutes.
The Malaysia Masters 2026, which kicked off yesterday and continues until May 24, carries a total prize pool of USD500,000 (RM1.98 million).
