Young son’s support for dad not enough for tearful Wei Nan as he squanders chance to upset third seed Jan O Jorgensen
He could hear his two-year-old child’s cheers but the Hong Kong player is unable to handle the pressure despite being one point from beating the Dane
There were tears in the eyes of Wei Nan after the home player missed a great opportunity to stun third seed Jan O Jorgensen, of Denmark, at the Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open on Thursday.
With a 20-18 lead in the deciding game, Wei had the full backing of the fans to finish off the job, including his two-year-old son, at the Coliseum in Hung Hom.
But in the end the 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist lost the game after deuce and the match following a 19-21, 21-13, 24-22 defeat by The Dane – the highest-ranked player in the men’s singles after top two seeds Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia and mainlander Chen Long pulled out.
Jorgensen won last week’s China Open, beating Chen in the final.
“I don’t how to offer an explanation,” said the 32-year-old. “I had all the chances for a great win against one of the best players but the Dane has a great return of serve that put me under constant pressure.
“I don’t think there is a problem with my ability. I have beaten top players such as Lee Chong Wei and Son Won-ho, of South Korea, this year. Maybe it’s mental reasons.