Leong Jun Hao must find a cutting edge to his game if he intends to make a breakthrough in a crucial phase of his career.

Now 26, and currently the country’s top ranked shuttler, Leong has been left frustrated after narrowly losing out in added points in his last two competitions.

He first crashed out 23-25 in the deciding game against Kenta Nishimoto at the World Championships, before losing 20-22 in the third game against eventual champion Li Shi Feng at the Hong Kong Open.

But there are positives to take from Leong’s last outing.

He showed plenty of fighting spirit to come from 8-16 down to force deuce in the deciding game, but lacked the cutting edge to complete the job.

As it turned out, Leong proved to be Li’s toughest opponent at the Hong Kong Open, pushing the champion to the wire in the quarter-finals.

National coach K.Yogendran said Leong stuck to the game plan and was unfortunate to lose out on the final two points.

But he sees promise for the world number 23.

“He’s now closing in on the world top 20. If he keeps this up, he can do better in the upcoming competitions,” said Yogendran.

Leong will next compete at the China Masters, where he faces Anthony Ginting who himself is desperately trying to regain his footing in the men’s singles.

Ginting has slipped to 66 in the world after injury left him on the sidelines for six months this year.

This match will be the ideal opportunity for Leong to get not just a morale-boosting first-round win, but also sharpen his overall game for an extended run in this Super 750 event.