Justin Hoh may have exited the Hong Kong Open in the second round, but national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen sees promising signs in the 21-year-old’s development.
World No. 39 Justin stunned world No. 13 Toma Junior Popov 21-12, 21-17 in the opening round on Wednesday before narrowly losing to compatriot Leong Jun Hao 11-21, 21-15, 18-21 in a gripping battle.
Jonassen described Justin’s straight-game win over Popov — a player he rates highly — as one of the best performances of his young career.
“I must say it was very encouraging to watch, and probably one of the best matches I’ve seen Justin play. I rate Popov very highly, he is a dangerous player, so Justin impressed me with his win,” said Jonassen.
He credited Justin’s maturity and willingness to absorb new training methods as key to his progress. The recent national squad boot camp in Denmark also played a role, though Jonassen stressed it was part of a longer journey.
“The Denmark camp was useful because Justin experienced new things, especially in terms of intensity and attention to detail. But it’s not just Denmark — it’s an ongoing process for Justin as a young player, learning step by step,” he added.
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