Shenzhen: Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, demonstrated his prowess by advancing to the quarterfinals of the China Masters on Thursday. He secured this position after a decisive victory over the home representative, Lu Guang Zu, in the second round at the Shenzhen Bay Gymnasium today.
Highlights of Lee Zii Jia vs. Lu Guangzu in 2023 China Masters second round:
In an impressive display of skill, Lee claimed victory with a score of 21-10, 21-12 in just 40 minutes. This marks his second consecutive win over the opponent, ranked 16th in the world, following his triumph in the first round of the Malaysia Masters last May. Lee, currently ranked 11th globally, now holds a commendable record of four wins out of five meetings against Lu.
Under the guidance of coach Wong Tat Meng, Lee expressed his happiness at reaching the quarterfinals and voiced his aspirations to progress further in the tournament. Notably, this competition serves as the last BWF World Tour tournament of the season.
“I just try my best to be more patient on the court. It pays off, especially when you see Guang Zu make a lot of simple mistakes… this is an advantage for me. I’m happy to reach the quarter-finals because this year I haven’t been able to reach the quarter-finals much. So, I hope I can go further in this tournament, which is also my last tournament,” he shared with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
In the quarterfinals, Lee is set to face Kenta Nishimoto as Nishimoto defeated reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 21-15, 21-23, 21-10.
Unfortunately, the Great Wall of China proved challenging for Malaysian representatives in other categories. The men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik and another men’s pair, Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun, faced defeat in the second round. Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, attempting to mount a comeback following their first-set loss, ultimately had to concede victory to He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu with a score of 25-27, 21-18, 17-21.
A similar outcome befell another Malaysian men’s pair, Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun. Despite securing the first set, they were unable to sustain their momentum and ultimately succumbed to the Chinese duo, Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi, in a three-set battle with scores of 21-17, 11-21, 13-21.
Additionally, professional women’s singles player Goh Jin Wei fell short of advancing to the quarterfinals, losing to China’s world number three player, Chen Yu Fei, with a score of 9-21, 16-21.
With the defeat of these Malaysian players, Lee Zii Jia stands as the sole Malaysian contender to progress into the quarterfinals.
