Kuala Lumpur: The draw for the highly anticipated 2024 Malaysia Open, a Super 1000 event scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur from January 9 to January 14, 2024, has been unveiled.
Malaysia’s top-ranked men’s singles player, Lee Zii Jia, currently ranked No. 11 globally, is poised to go head-to-head with China’s Lu Guangzu in the opening round. Additionally, world No. 15 Ng Tze Yong is set to clash with Japan’s Koki Watanabe, ranked No. 23, in the first round.
As the inaugural tournament of the 2024 season and a Super 1000 level event, the Malaysia Open holds significance as an opportunity for badminton players to accrue qualifying points for the Paris Olympics. Consequently, top-tier players from around the world are expected to converge in Malaysia, aiming for a strong start to the season.
Lee Zii Jia, who secured victory against Lu Guangzu in straight games during the first round of the 2023 Malaysia Masters, finds himself facing the world No. 19 Chinese player once again in the first round of the 2024 Malaysia Open.
In their previous five encounters, former All England champion Lee Zii Jia maintained a decisive advantage over Lu Guangzu, with four wins and one loss.
The winner of the Lee Zii Jia vs. Lu Guangzu match will progress to face Indonesia’s No. 4 seed, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, or Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang in the second round.
Defending champion Viktor Axelsen, who clinched victory in the 2022 and 2023 tournaments, will kick off the first round against his close friend Loh Kean Yew of Singapore.
Ng Tze Yong, seeking redemption after a 0-2 defeat to Koki Watanabe in the second round of this year’s Japan Open, looks to turn the tables in the upcoming match.
In the women’s singles category, Malaysia’s sole representative, Goh Jin Wei, is scheduled to face Chinese Taipei’s Sung Shuo Yun in the opening round. The two players have not crossed paths before, with Sung (world No. 30) holding just a one-spot advantage over Goh (world No. 31).
The women’s singles lineup also includes top-ranked players such as South Korea’s world No. 1 An Se Young, China’s No. 2 seed Chen Yufei, Japan’s No. 3 seed and defending champion Akane Yamaguchi, Chinese Taipei’s No. 4 seed Tai Tzu Ying, and Spain’s No. 5 seed Carolina Marin.
