HANGZHOU: Staging a magnificent comeback, national top men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia stunned reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn at the Binjiang Gymnasium here today, checking into the Hangzhou Asian Games quarter-final.
The world number 16 won 10-21, 21-19, 21-6 against the world number four to make amends for missing out on the last eight in the 2018 edition in Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia.
Despite a shaky start, Zii Jia regained his composure to win the second game, later dominating the decider to send Thailand’s first-ever men’s singles world champion packing.
This is his fourth win over Kunlavut in seven meetings, with the Thai having won their last two encounters in the 2021 World Tour Finals and 2022 German Open.
Tomorrow, the former All England champion takes on India’s HS Prannoy, who downed Dmitriy Panarin of Kazakhstan 21-12, 21-13 today.
“Although I was behind by about seven points in the second game, I tried everything I could.
“I knew that if I were to lose, it would have been the end for me. But, if the strategy worked, I would be able to overturn the situation,” Bernama reported Zii Jia as saying.
Zii Jia said he would need to be more prepared for world number seven Prannoy, who “is a strong and consistent player”.
Zii Jia advanced to the round of 16 after eliminating Mourinho Zefi Costa Gusmao De Jesus of Timor Leste yesterday, while Kunlavut edged out Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Dang.
Meanwhile, Kunlavut said he did not prepare well for the Asiad as he was hospitalised for three days for influenza before leaving for Hangzhou.
Earlier, the national mixed doubles pair of Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei also advanced to the quarter-finals when they disposed of India’s Sai Pratheek-Tanisha Crasto 21-18, 21-18.
The Malaysians, however, have the unenviable task of trying to stop defending Asian Games champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallists Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong of China tomorrow.
The world number one and three-time world champions progressed after trouncing Nepal’s Bishnu Katuwal-Nangsal Tamang 21-4, 21-7.
Another national mixed doubles pair – Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie – failed to progress after going down 21-17, 21-23, 13-21 to Thailand’s Supak Jomkoh-Supissara Paewsampran.