KUALA LUMPUR – Lee Zii Jia’s campaign at the China Open came to an early end after he was defeated by Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in the first round.
Naraoka turned up the heat in the deciding set, ultimately defeating the Malaysian men’s singles ace 26-24, 12-21, 21-11 in Changzhou today.
This marks the second defeat in three meetings for Zii Jia against the Japanese world number three, with the Malaysian’s previous loss occurring during this year’s Petronas Malaysia Open.
“I don’t think I have anything to say about my defeat. This is a fact I need to accept and move on,” Zii Jia told the Badminton World Federation after the match.
“My opponent is currently in good form, as evidenced by his consistent performances on the court.
“He’s a strong defensive and rally player and made fewer errors than me on the court.
“It’s tough to compete against Japanese players as they all have a similar style of play, and Naraoka’s control on the court was better than mine, which cost me the victory in the third set.”
National women’s singles player Goh Jin Wei also made an early first-round exit, losing to Aya Ohori of Japan 18-21, 12-21 in just 38 minutes.
The 23-year-old had previously suffered a series of disappointing first-round losses this year – starting with the Malaysia Masters in May, followed by the Indonesia Open in June, and July’s Korea Open and Japan Open.
Meanwhile, Chen Tan Jie and Toh Ee Wei defeated India’s Rohan Kapoor and Reddy N. Sikki in straight sets, 21-15, 21-16 in 39 minutes.
“Although we won today, I believe I didn’t give my best on the court. I need to thank my partner for leading us to victory in this game,” Tan Jie said.
“We have recovered well from the World Championships and are on the right track for this tournament. We are ready to give our best in the upcoming match,” Ee Wei added.
The world number 11 pair will be facing South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun in the second-round in the mixed doubles. – September 6, 2023