Kuala Lumpur: For the second consecutive year, France’s World no. 20 Brice Leverdez will face World No. 2 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the first round of the World Championship and the Frenchman is ready to repeat last year’s feat in Glasgow.
The 2013 Scottish Open champion, Brice Leverdez, pulled off a massive shock at the 2017 World Championships in Glasgow by defeating No 2 seed Lee Chong Wei in a thrilling 75-minute first round men’s singles match.
Leverdez told reporters that he has put the biggest win of his career behind him, and would face the threat of Lee Chong Wei seriously when both play against each other in Nanjing, China this year.
“I will bring my A game again, but I am expecting a tough fight this time because he looked so fit in the several previous tournaments,” said Leverdez.
“Therefore, if I would like to win the match, I’ll have to be in my best condition. I believe it will be a fascinating clash as Lee is on a mission to take revenge for his defeat last year,” added Leverdez.
If Lee managed to overcome Leverdez in the first round, he will likely be playing against Taiwan’s Wang Tzu Wei in the second round, and could set up a possible battle with Japanese badminton star Kento Momota in the semi-final.
Leverdez who was able to defeat Olympic champion Chen Long in the first round of Indonesia Open two weeks ago, is confident he could do well in Nanjing.
“I like to play in Asia, the audience is great, and my training is also very effective.”
