KUALA LUMPUR – The only way is up for Justin Hoh as he attempts to position himself among the world’s top players, which will require him to overcome stronger opponents along the way.
Over the past two months, the national men’s singles shuttler, who was ranked 233rd on April 29, has risen to 75th after reaching the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open final and winning the Dove Saipan International a week later.
Furthermore, at the Kaohsiung Masters in Taiwan last month, the 21-year-old advanced to the quarter-finals before succumbing to the home representative, Lee Chia Hao.
This jump did not come easy, as he was previously hindered by a few serious injuries, which pushed him further down in the ranks.
Justin’s highest career ranking was 48th in the world last May before he had to undergo treatment for a ruptured Achilles tendon, which dashed his dreams of representing the country at the Cambodia SEA Games.
Later, when he was able to return to the court, Justin faced another setback with a knee injury, forcing him to be dropped from the Malaysian squad during the Badminton Asia Team Championships held in February.
As such, his quick improvement in the rankings paves the way for Justin to return to action in the Badminton World Federation World Tour tournaments. He is set to compete in the Baoji China Masters, a Super 100-level event, next month.
Some renowned players set to compete in the tournament include 2019 World Championship bronze medallist Kantaphon Wangcharoen and former world number one Son Wan Ho.
“To improve my ranking, I need to compete against top players, but I have to take it step by step. By the end of this year, I aim to participate in Super 300 or 500 tournaments, which will require a lot more learning.
“I haven’t set any specific ranking goals for this year, so there’s no pressure on myself.
“However, I do aim to return to the top 50 as before and strive to achieve a ranking within the top 32 as soon as possible,” said Justin when met at Akademi Badminton Malaysia, Bukit Kiara, today.
For the record, Malaysia boasts three men’s singles players ranked in the world’s top 32, led by Lee Zii Jia (ranked 7th), followed by Ng Tze Yong (ranked 18th), and Leong Jun Hao (ranked 27th).
Reflecting on his success in the Northern Mariana Islands, Justin expressed satisfaction that his career is back on track, attributing it to noticeable improvements in his gameplay.
“I really didn’t expect to reach the finals in two consecutive tournaments. I played well and was fully focused in these two championships.
“Firstly, I’m delighted to be back on the right track after my injury. My performances in these two tournaments have boosted my confidence, and I hope to further improve in upcoming competitions.
“I realised there has been an improvement in my gameplay, especially fresh off recovery from injury, where I’ve learned a lot, particularly on how to manage myself,” he added. – July 17, 2024
