KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 — Malaysia’s professional badminton player Lee Zii Jia stormed into the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open 2024 after overcoming a strong challenge from China’s Weng Hong Yang last night.
In the second-round clash at the iconic Istora Senayan, the world number seven Zii Jia found the going tough in the opening game and lost 20-22.
However, Zii Jia came back strongly to beat the world number 19 Hong Yang 21-9 and 21-16 in the next two games to book his quarterfinal slot.
Today, Zii Jia will meet 2023 world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, who advanced to the last eight after disposing of India’s Priyanshu Rajawat 21-10, 21-17.
Zii Jia last played Kunlavut in the men’s singles third round of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games last year, with the 26-year-old Malaysian winning 10-21, 21-19, 21-6.
National women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah also qualified for the last eight after defeating Indonesia’s Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti 21-18, 21-19. They will next meet world number one Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan of China.
The national professional mixed doubles pair of Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing also advanced to the last eight after ousting Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje 15-21, 23-21, 21-14.
The world number 21 pair will meet eighth seeds Kim Won Ho-Jeong Na Eun of South Korea tomorrow.
Earlier yesterday, three Malaysian representatives also entered the quarterfinals, namely men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao and men’s doubles pairs Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani.
— Bernama
