PETALING JAYA: The national singles players face an uphill battle to clear the opening round of the Asian Championships in Ningbo from April 7 to 12 after being drawn against formidable opponents.

Malaysia's top men's singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao (pic) faces a tough task against 2024 champion Jonatan Christie, who will compete as the third seed. The Kuala Lumpur-born player has beaten Jonatan three times previously but failed to repeat the feat when he lost at the Malaysian Open in Jan.