KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian professional badminton player Lee Zii Jia entered the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Open 2024 after he overcame a strong challenge from China’s Weng Hong Yang on Friday.
World number seven Zii Jia struggled in the opening match in the second-round clash against Istora Senayan and lost 20:22.
Zii Jia, however, came back strongly and defeated the world number 19 Hong Yang 21-9 and 21-16 in the next two games, securing his place in the quarter-finals.
Zii Jia will now face 2023 world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, who advanced to the last eight after beating India’s Priyanshu Rajawat 21-10, 21-17.
The Malaysian player last played Kunlavut in the third round of the men’s singles at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games last year. The 26-year-old Malaysian won 10-21, 21-19, 21-6.
Pearly Tan-M Thinaah, the national women’s doubles pair also advanced to the last eight after beating Indonesia’s Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti 21-18, 21-19. They will next face world number one Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan of China.
Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, the national professional mixed doubles pair also, advanced to the last eight after eliminating Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje 15-21, 23-21, 21-14.
The world number 21 duo will face eighth-seeded South Koreans Kim Won Ho-Jeong Na Eun.