KUALA LUMPUR: National men’s No 1 singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia endured a torrid time against Frenchman Christo Popov before sealing his quarterfinal spot in the German Open today.
The 23-year-old Zii Jia, ranked seventh in the world, had to fight for 61 minutes to oust world No 62 Popov 21-13, 18-21, 21-12 in the second round at the Westenergie Sporthalle in Muelheim.
In tomorrow’s quarterfinals, Zii Jia, who turned professional in a controversial manner earlier this year, will face the winner of the match between China’s Zhao Junpeng and South Korea’s Heo Kwang-hee.
In yesterday’s first round match, reigning All England champion Zii Jia was also stretched to a rubber game before eliminating Dutchman Mark Caljouw after 52 minutes.