Hangzhou: Lee Zii Jia, the world No. 16 men’s singles player from Malaysia, successfully defeated the world No. 18 Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong 2-1 in the round of 64 at the Hangzhou Asian Games badminton men’s singles individual event. He avenged his opponent and reached the top 32, where he will face Mourinho Zefi Costa Gusmao De Jesus of East Timor and is expected to advance with ease.
Lee Zii Jia had lost his previous four matches against Ng Ka Long, but he put in a spirited performance on Monday to come back from a game down to win 15-21, 21-15, 21-16.
Highlights of Lee Zii Jia vs. Ng Ka Long in the Asian Games round of 64:
“I didn’t think too much,” Lee Zii Jia said after the match. “I just told myself not to give up. I succeeded in winning this time. I want to continue this fighting spirit to increase my confidence.”
Lee Zii Jia will next face East Timor player Mourinho, who received a bye in the first round. He is expected to enter the top 16 and may challenge Thailand’s reigning world champion and No. 3 seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
Other notable results from the first round of the men’s singles include:
* Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen defeated Pui Pang Fong of Macau 21-13, 21-14. Will play defending champion Jonatan Christie in the second round.
* Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto defeated Prince Dadal of Nepal 21-12, 21-7 .
* Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong received a bye in the first round, but he will challenge the seventh seed and the 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the second round.
In the women’s singles, Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei defeated Pakistan’s Ghazala Siddique 21-10, 21-4 in the first round of the only women’s singles match that was played. She will next face Vietnam’s Vu Thi Anh Thu in the second round.
Malaysia also has another Malaysian women’s singles participant, Karupathevan Letshanaa, who has a bye in the first round and will challenge Thailand’s top eight seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the second round.
