KUALA LUMPUR: Leong Jun Hao came agonisingly close to a major upset at the China Open today, squandering three match points in his first-round defeat to Frenchman Toma Junior Popov.
In a 95-minute thriller, world No. 19 Popov defeated No. 29 Jun Hao 23-25, 26-24, 21-19.
Jun Hao held three match points at 20-17 in the second game but allowed Popov to claw back and force a decider. The Malaysian battled valiantly, with only fine margins separating the two players.
Jun Hao said the draught in the third game proved decisive after the interval.
"In the last game, I was on the tougher side to play. The draught was behind me, and I think that was the difference today," said Jun Hao in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation.
Popov praised Jun Hao's net play, acknowledging that avoiding those exchanges was key to his victory.
"It was a great mental and physical battle, especially at the net where he was unplayable. My dad (coach) told me not to play him forehand at the net, but he forced me into that shot time and again.
"He defended well and had a lot of unexpected shots. I knew he was going to hit long on match point because the draught was on his side.
"It was a great match, and I'm happy to win," said Popov, the European Championships runner-up.
Popov will face Indonesia's world No. 8 Jonatan Christie in the second round.