Jun Hao mustn't let the shuttle kill him slowly
Hence, Leong Jun Hao must learn to deal with the notoriously "slow" venue for the Japan Open beginning on Tuesday, said national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen.
World No. 24 Jun Hao will face France's world No. 8 Alex Lanier in the first round. Ominously, Lanier thrived at the Metropolitan last year to achieve his ground-breaking career win at the Japan Open.
"We do know quite a lot about the venue in Japan, and Alex performed well there," said Jonassen.
"It's a challenge for Jun Hao to find a way to cope with the slow shuttles (during rallies) there besides overcoming the physicality and playing style of Alex.
"Alex doesn't give away opportunities, plays at a high speed and is powerful, and it will be a challenge to get the right tactics.
"Jun Hao played well at the Singapore and Indonesia Opens, but those venues are slightly different than what we can expect in Japan, hence a different approach.
"Jun Hao needs to understand his own game and shot-selection. If we are too aggressive all the time, we tend to leave the court open.
"It's important for Jun Hao to know when to take the initiative and when to allow the opponent to open up (the game)."
Jun Hao should look to his compatriots. Men's doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik proved that they could adapt to the Metropolitan Gymnasium as they won the world title there in 2022.
World No. 1 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani also tamed the "slow venue" there to win the Japan Open last year.
Last month, Jun Hao reached the Singapore Open quarter-finals and Indonesia Open second round where the Singapore Indoor Stadium and Istora Senayan in Jakarta are known for their heavy draught.
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