Home Tournament Opens New Realm for Hooi
It was her biggest tournament in her nascent career, and it was on home soil, and that explained why Jaslyn Hooi looked excited despite her women’s singles first round loss at the Singapore Open 2019 yesterday.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The 18-year-old, having qualified to the main draw, fell 21-13 21-8 to China’s Chen Xiaoxin and came away not crestfallen but with a sparkle in her eyes.
“It’s my first experience of a (World Tour) Super 500,” said Hooi, who has competed mainly in the International Series and International Challenge events.
“Today she (Chen Xiaoxin) clearly had the upper hand. She’s much more experienced than me, and faster and stronger. Moving forward, I have to work harder because now I know the benchmark. So I know what I need to do.”