Cooler and calmer Max Lee ready to make his mark at Hong Kong Open
Having shed his "Mad Max" outlook for a more self-assured and confident approach, Max Lee Ho-yin will begin his first Hong Kong Open as a fully fledged professional and dreaming big for the Asian Games in South Korea next month.
Lee, 26, is the first local men's Chinese player to earn a direct entry into the main draw of the US$220,000 Cathay Pacific Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open. He has played in the main draw in the past, but all by virtue of either winning through the qualifying rounds, or getting a wild card.
I used to be stressed out before a match and worry a lot, but now I am more calm and relaxed
That's not the case this time for the Tin Shui Wai resident who qualifies automatically by dint of his world ranking - an all-time high of 25.
A flurry of outstanding results - including wins over Egypt's world number nine Karim Darwish in March and then Spain's world No 7 Borja Golan at last week's Malaysian Open - has earned Lee the tag of giant-killer.
"I used to be stressed out before a match and worry a lot, but now I am more calm and relaxed. My mental game is far better and this has helped me improve. All this is due to a lot of hard work. The harder I train, I feel more confident in my mind," said Lee on the eve of his big day in front of his home fans.
Hong Kong's leading men's player will meet world number 10 Daryl Selby, of England, in the opening round at the Hong Kong Squash Centre on Tuesday night.