Zii Jia and Co face huge Thailand hurdle

MALAYSIAN shuttlers will be out to avoid a Thai wipeout in the early rounds of the Asian Games.

Almost all the representatives – Ng Tze Yong, Lee Zii Jia (men’s singles), Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (men’s doubles), Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women’s doubles) and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie (mixed doubles) will be facing opponents from Thailand for places in quarter-finals.

In the men’s singles, Tze Yong will play world No. 35 Kantaphon Wangcharoen while Zii Jia has a tougher challenge against reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the third round respectively at at the Binjiang Gymnasium in Hangzhou today.

Tze Yong, who dumped former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 21-12, 21-14 in the second round yesterday, does not want to make the same mistake of underestimating his opponent.

He paid the price for underestimating world No. 119 Lee Yun-gyu in the team event last week, which saw him losing and eventually Malaysia were bundled out 1-3 in the opening round.

The 23-year-old Tze Yong now is looking pumped up after blowing away world No. 9 Kean Yew.

“I’m happy to get back my rhythm after my poor showing in the team event. I know I played badly,” Tze Yong said in a post match interview with Astro Arena.

“I just have to stay consistent during my next match.”

It will be Tze Yong’s first meeting against the Thai in international competitions.

Meanwhile, Zii Jia , who hardly broke sweat in his 21-0, 21-7 win over Timor Leste’s unheralded Mourinho Zefi in his second round match, is bracing himself for a tough match.

“It was a good win today (yesterday) but my priority tomorrow (today) is the match against Kunlavut,” said the world No. 16 Zii Jia

“He is the world champion, so it will be a tough match.

“It is well known that he has been very consistent this year, so this is a big challenge for me.”

In the women’s doubles, Pearly Tan-Thinaah have set up a match against Thailand’s world No. 10 Jongkolphan Kititharakul-Rawinda Prajongjai after clearing their first round against Singapore;s Jin Yujia-Crystal Wong (21-12, 21-16).

It was all over for youngsters Valeree Siow-Go Pei Kee though after they went down 9-21, 13-21 to Japan’s world No. 5 Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida.

In the men’s doubles, Aaron-Wooi Yik will play Supak Jomkoh-Kittinupong Kedren in the second round while Soon Huat-Shevon face Supak and Supissara Paewsampran

Two other Malaysian representatives Goh Jin Wei faces Gregoria Mariska of Indonesia (women’s singles) while Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei take on India’s K. Sai Pratheek-Tanisha Crasto (mixed doubles).