Zii Jia gets the better of compatriot Jun Hao in first round
PETALING JAYA: Independent player Lee Zii Jia (pic) finally won his first match under new coach Wong Tat Meng when he beat compatriot Leong Jun Hao in the first round of the Australia Open in Sydney yesterday.
Zii Jia, the world No. 17, did not start the way he wanted as he had to come from a game down to beat the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) player Leong Jun Hao 12-21, 21-17, 21-16.
It also prevented him from suffering a fifth consecutive first round defeat after Zii Jia had fallen in the opening round in Singapore, Indonesia, Korea and Japan Opens.
It will also be a huge relief for Tat Meng who saw Zii Jia falling to his former player Angus Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong in Korea and Kenta Nishimoto of Japan in Tokyo last week.
The last time Zii Jia got past the preliminary rounds was at the Swiss Open in April and the Malaysian has the chance to reach the last eight if he can overcome India’s Mithun Manjunath in the second round today.
BAM shuttler Ng Tze Yong did well to beat Kanta Tsuneyama 21-18, 21-8 to advance to the second round but faces a tough match against Japan Open runner-up Jonatan Christie of Indonesia for a place in the last eight.
In the women’s singles, Malaysia’s campaign ended as Goh Jin Wei suffered a 15-21, 17-21 defeat to Aakarshi Kashyap of India.
In the mixed doubles, three Malaysian pairs led by world No. 10 Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie advanced to the second round.
Soon Huat-Shevon, who lost in the first round of the Japan Open, avoided a consecutive opening round exit when they fought their way to a 21-12, 11-21, 21-13 win over Taiwan pair Ming Che-lu-Hung En-tzu. They will play Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito of Japan in the second round.
BAM pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei checked into the second round with a 21-10, 21-4 win over South Korea-Australia combination Lee Jae-sun-Charis Ho. They will face Rinov Rivaldi-Pitha Haningtyas of Indonesia today.
Their national teammates Hoo Pang Ron-Teoh Mei Xing also advanced with a 21-15, 21-17 win over Commonwealth Games champions Terry Hee-Jessica Tan of Singapore but face a stern test against South Koreans Seo Seung-jae-Chae Yu Jung next.
Malaysians unless stated
First round
Men’s singles: Lee Zii Jia bt Leong Jun Hao 12-21, 21-17, 21-16; Ng Tze Yong bt Kanta Tsuneyama (Jpn) 21-18, 21-8.
Women’s singles: Aakarshi Kashyap (Ind) bt Goh Jin Wei 21-15, 21-17.
Mixed doubles: Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei bt Lee Jae-sun-Charis Ho (Kor-Aus) 21-10, 21-4; Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie bt Ming Che-lu-Hung En-tzu (Tpe) 21-12, 11-21, 21-13; Hoo Pang Ron-Teoh Mei Xing bt Terry Hee-Jessica Tan (Sin) 21-15, 21-17; Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (Chn) bt Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing 21-10, 14-21, 21-16; Adnan Maulana-Nita Violina (Ina) bt Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See 21-16, 21-10.
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