Kuala Lumpur: With professional shuttler Lee Zii Jia out of the picture, the spotlight now shifts to Leong Jun Hao to carry the nation’s sole men’s singles hopes at the Malaysia Open 2025, which kicks off tomorrow until this Sunday. Jun Hao, who is competing in his first ever Malaysia Open, admitted that the pressure is building as he steps onto the court in front of thousands of home fans at the Axiata Arena.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, a statement posted by Team LZJ in a social media post last week revealed that Zii Jia, 26, will miss the Malaysia Open 2025 action as he has not fully recovered from the right ankle ligament injury sustained during the BWF (Badminton World Federation) World Tour Finals last month.

Jun Hao said he is looking forward to playing in his first Super 1000 tourney and hopes to be more consistent in higher-level tournaments going forward. Commenting on his first hurdle against the world number 16 Lu Guang Zu, the 25-year-old described the Chinese player as a tough nut to crack even though both players have never crossed swords before. “Last year he beat Zii Jia (in the first round), so I will prepare the best to fight him. I think all Chinese players are not easy to play against because they are strong mentally and physically,” he said.

Meanwhile, the world number 29 is optimistic that the appointment of Kenneth Jonassen from Denmark as the new national singles head coach will help him improve further. The 51-year-old Dane brings a wealth of experience having been instrumental in shaping Denmark’s badminton legacy during his 13-year coaching tenure and previously served as England’s head coach. A former world number two in men’s singles, Jonassen boasts an impressive playing career, having won prestigious titles such as the German Open, Korean Open, Dutch Open, and Singapore Open.