KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttler Leong Jun Hao has finally announced his arrival on the big stage, securing a well-deserved spot in the final of a major World Tour event after years of hard work.
On Saturday, the world No. 31 stunned world No. 6 Jonatan Christie in the semi-finals of the Super 500 Kumamoto Masters in Japan.
Jun Hao produced a gritty fightback, overturning a 17-10 deficit in the third game to win 12-21, 21-18, 22-20 in a nerve-wracking 76-minute clash against the All England champion.
The victory was Jun Hao's fourth upset in the tournament, having earlier defeated world No. 17 Lakshya Sen (first round), world No. 11 Koki Watanabe (second round), and world No. 4 Kodai Naraoka (quarter-finals).
His reward for this remarkable run is a showdown against China's Li Shi Feng in tomorrow's final.
Shi Feng, the Asian Games champion, stunned two-time Olympic gold medallist Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 21-16, 21-15 in his semi-final.
Jun Hao, 25, has lost all three previous encounters against Shi Feng but remains determined to break the streak.
"Yeah, it is a great feeling to be back again, especially in a big event like the Kumamoto Masters," said an elated Jun Hao.
On his dramatic comeback against Jonatan, he added: "I just tried my best by winning point by point, and I'm happy to have pulled it off.
"It has given me a lot of confidence, and I will give my best in the final tomorrow."
Before this breakthrough, Jun Hao endured a difficult stretch, bowing out in the early rounds of six consecutive tournaments.
He has previously won titles at smaller World Tour events, such as the Super 100 Indonesia Masters and KL Masters, and was the runner-up at the Super 300 Thailand Masters in 2018.