Jun Hao shocks Kenta in All England opener

2026-03-03 - 23:24

Leong Jun Hao took 81 minutes to beat Kenta Nishimoto 21-17, 13-21, 21-18. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: National men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao got off to a rousing start in his All England campaign by upsetting his higher-ranked Japanese rival Kenta Nishimoto in their opening match early this morning. The Malaysian world No 26, who is ranked 13 places below his Japanese rival, won 21-17, 13-21, 21-18 in a gruelling 81-minute match at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham. His victory at the prestigious World Tour Super 1000 championships breaks the first-round jinx that had plagued him in most of his tournaments last year and twice in three earlier championships this year. Jun Hao was eliminated in the first round of the championships last year. This is his fourth win over Kenta in their seven encounters so far. In his last 16 match, he faces another higher-ranked Japanese player, Koki Watanabe, whom he has beaten in all five encounters to date. It was an otherwise gloomy day for the Malaysian camp on opening day with all other national representatives, including world mixed-doubles champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, knocked out in their first-round matches. Men’s doubles pair Choong Hon Jian-Haikal Nazri lost to Danish duo Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 13-21, 17-21 in 38 minutes. It was their second consecutive first-round exit after the German Open last week. Another pair – Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi – fell to top Indonesian duo Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri 9-21, 17-21 in just 32 minutes. Mixed doubles pairs Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin and Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing were also eliminated in the first round. Men’s doubles pairs Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King, Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai and Nur Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong will play their opening ties this evening (Malaysian time). World No 2 women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M Thinaah meanwhile face a tough opener against Japanese duo Arisa Igarashi-Chiharu Shida. The other Malaysian women’s doubles pair, Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting, will also have a difficult first-round match against the higher-ranked Japanese pair Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Maysumoto. Mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Jemie Lai will face English shuttlers Callum Hemming-Estelle van Leeuwen.