Malaysian men’s singles shuttler Justin Hoh has made a major career breakthrough at the Macau Open, reaching his first-ever World Tour Super 300 semi-final. The world No. 45 delivered a composed and commanding performance on Friday, defeating Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen 21-9, 21-18 in the quarter-finals.
The victory was especially sweet for the 21-year-old, as it avenged his previous loss to Kantaphon — a 2019 World Championships bronze medallist — at last year’s Korea Masters. Justin took full control from the opening game, setting the pace early and never allowing his Thai opponent to recover.
While the second game saw more resistance, Justin stayed calm under pressure to close out the match in straight games. This marks his best showing on the World Tour to date, surpassing his back-to-back quarter-final appearances at the Taiwan Open in 2023 and 2024.
Next, Justin will face India’s Tharun Mannepalli, world No. 47, who has been one of the surprises of the tournament. Tharun stunned top seed Lee Cheuk Yiu in the last 16 and followed up with a gritty three-game win over China’s reigning world junior champion Hu Zhe An.
With both players chasing their first-ever World Tour final, the upcoming semi-final promises to be an exciting and evenly matched showdown.
