KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttler Justin Hoh must conquer his inner demons to start winning titles on the World Tour, says national men's singles coach K. Yogendran.
Yogendran believes the world No. 53 is weighed down by his own expectations, with mental battles on the court hindering his progress.
However, the coach noted a positive shift in Justin's mindset, spurred by fellow national shuttler Leong Jun Hao's impressive run at the Super 500 Kumamoto Masters in Japan last month.
Jun Hao defeated Japan's world No. 8 Kodai Naraoka and Indonesia's world No. 3 Jonatan Christie before losing to China's world No. 3 Li Shi Feng in the final.
Yogendran said the shuttlers are on a training programme approved by incoming national singles head coach Kenneth Jonassen.
He believes Justin is closing in on winning Super 300 titles next year as a stepping stone to greater achievements.
"Justin is already up there in terms of skill, but he must overcome the mental battle on the court," said Yogendran.
"When he plays, he puts too much pressure on himself and wants to achieve things too quickly.
"If Justin can overcome these mental battles, he can do very well and progress to bigger things.
"We have also discussed this with Kenneth, and the Dane is expected to make some changes that can boost the player's mental toughness.
"Even at Kumamoto, Justin pushed world No. 6 Lee Zii Jia to three games, and it shows he has the quality to challenge top players."
Justin has battled injuries, including an eight-month hiatus after rupturing his left Achilles tendon in April 2023.
His recovery has been disrupted by minor injuries, further hampering his performance.
The 20-year-old remains determined to break into the world's top 32 next year.
Justin said: "Jun Hao's Kumamoto feat is a good example for me to push myself.
"Of course, I want to win, but sometimes it doesn't happen. I've been discussing with my coaches how to overcome this and hope the arrival of coach Jonassen can further help.
"I am excited to work with him to improve my results."
Justin's current ranking makes him ineligible to compete in the Super 1000 Malaysia Open on Jan 7-12.
He is expected to begin his new season at the Super 300 Thailand Masters on Jan 28-Feb 2.