TOKYO, Nov 17 — Leong Jun Hao lost the Japan Masters final to China’s world No.9 Li Shifeng after a stunning run in the tournament.
He was downed in two sets, 10-12 and 13-21 in 44 minutes today.
Leong had so far beaten the odds by beating much higher-ranked opponents that included Japan’s Kodai Naraoka (No.4), Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie (No.6), Koki Watanabe (No.11) from Japan and India’s world No.17 Lakshya Sen.
This is Leong’s first final in a World Tour Super 500 competition and also makes him the first Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) men’s singles player to make it into a World Tour tournament final in 2024.