Justin Hoh, a men’s singles badminton player, received a timely boost ahead of his first-round match against Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke at today’s Hong Kong Open, as he climbed 11 places in the latest world rankings to reach No. 57.
Justin’s jump in the rankings is well-deserved after reaching his first-ever World Tour Super 300 quarterfinals at the recent Taiwan Open.
The 20-year-old is now closer to his career-high ranking of No. 48, which he achieved last year before an Achilles injury severely hindered his progress.
Justin recovered from his injury last November after an 8-month break but struggled with foot and knee issues until March when he fully regained fitness.
The young player’s ranking had dropped to No. 233 after his injury, but his hard work and determination have helped him steadily climb back up to his current position.
In May, Justin won the Slovenia Open and then the Saipan International in July, finishing as runner-up at the Northern Mariana Open.
He also earned a bronze medal at the Thomas Cup Finals in Chengdu in May with his teammates, and a month later, he made it to the quarterfinals of the Super 100 Taiwan Masters.
Justin will make his debut at a Super 500 event in Hong Kong, facing a tough challenge against Denmark’s world No. 26, Rasmus Gemke.
Despite a valiant effort, Justin ultimately lost 13-21, 21-19, 13-21 to Gemke, whom he had previously faced in the Thomas Cup group stage.
Meanwhile, independent player Lee Zii Jia also saw a ranking boost, climbing one spot to world No. 3.
The Paris Olympics bronze medalist replaced Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, who fell to No. 7.
The 26-year-old will miss the Hong Kong tournament but is expected to return for the China Open from September 17 to 22.
Leong Jun Hao remains at No. 29 and will make his Hong Kong debut today against local qualifier Chan Yin Chak, while independent player Ng Tze Yong jumped from No. 65 to No. 61 and will face France’s world No. 28, Christo Popov.
