KUALA LUMPUR: The pressure is on for Leong Jun Hao to catch up with his more fancied compatriots like Lee Zii Jia and Ng Tze Yong, but the former Asian junior champion believes he's on the right track.
Having received a first-round bye, the world No 43 lived up to his second seed billing at the Super 100 KL Masters, marching into the third round on Wednesday.
Jun Hao, also the reigning national champion, made easy work of South Korea's Choi Pyeong Gang 21-13, 21-14 in the second round at the Titiwangsa Stadium here.
Jus a fortnight ago, Jun Hao was on the verge of skipping the inaugural event due to a foot injury sustained at the Arctic Open in Finland.
"The pressure to win is there. What I need to do, and what I need to achieve is pressure for me.
"But I need to continue doing what I'm doing.
"As for the match, it wasn't easy because the shuttle in this court is very slow, and I had to be patient in playing long rallies just to score a point.
"All in all, I'm glad to win my first match in this tournament, and I just need to have better control in my next match," said Jun Hao, who will face the winner of the second round match between youngster Eogene Ewe and Lee Shun Yang.
Another national men's singles player, Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, continued his fine form when he upset fourth seed Huang Yu Kai of Taiwan 21-15, 21-12 to reach the third round.
Aidil, who was recently crowned Indonesia International Challenge champion, will play South Korea's Cho Geonyeop next.
As expected, top seed Lee Chia Hao of Taiwan also checked into the third round but not after a tough battle with Malaysia's Ong Zhen Yi, who stretched the Taiwanese world No. 37 to the decider, before succumbing 18-21, 21-2, 21-17.
In the women's singles first round, K. Letshanaa quite comfortably downed Egyptian Nour Ahmed Youssri 21-17, 21-13, while Wong Ling Ching upset seventh seed Chiu Pin Chian of Taiwan 24-22, 21-16.
Sixth seed Letshanaa will play Taiwan's Hung Yi Ting in the second round, while Ling Ching will face another Taiwanese Lee Yu Hsuan next.
