Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Lee Zii Jia’s search for a return to form suffered another setback at the 2026 Vietnam Open after the Malaysian independent shuttler was eliminated by 20-year-old Wu Zhe Ying of Chinese Taipei.
Lee, the Paris Olympic bronze medalist, battled for 47 minutes before losing 8-21, 21-13, 14-21 in his opening match at the BWF World Tour Super 100 tournament.
The result denied the world No. 58 Malaysian a place in the round of 16 and continued a difficult stretch of badminton results following earlier exits at the Taipei Open and Korea Masters.
Lee Zii Jia Loses to World No. 88 Wu Zhe Ying
Lee received a first-round bye and entered the second round hoping that a lower-level Super 100 tournament would provide an opportunity to rebuild confidence and collect valuable match time.
Instead, Wu produced an impressive performance in their first career meeting.
The Chinese Taipei youngster dominated the opening game 21-8 before Lee responded strongly to take the second 21-13.
With the match level at one game apiece, Wu regained control in the decider and closed out the upset 21-14.
- Winner: Wu Zhe Ying of Chinese Taipei
- Defeated: Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia
- Score: 21-8, 13-21, 21-14
- Match duration: 47 minutes
- Lee Zii Jia ranking: World No. 58
- Wu Zhe Ying ranking: World No. 88
Wu Zhe Ying Beats Two High-Profile Opponents in One Day
Wu had already been in action earlier in the day and produced another noteworthy victory.
He defeated Vietnamese veteran Nguyen Tien Minh 21-6, 21-14 in the opening round before returning to court to face Lee.
The 43-year-old Nguyen, a former World Championships bronze medalist and three-time Vietnam Open champion, had entered the tournament as a replacement player but was unable to extend his campaign.
Wu then followed that victory by eliminating Lee, making it a memorable day for the 20-year-old from Chinese Taipei.
Another Setback in Lee Zii Jia’s Comeback
The Vietnam Open was viewed as an opportunity for Lee to rediscover rhythm after a challenging period on the international badminton circuit.
He had previously been eliminated in the second round of the Taipei Open and then exited the Korea Masters in the first round.
Choosing to compete at a Super 100 tournament offered the Malaysian an opportunity to face lower-ranked opposition and build confidence through additional matches.
However, the defeat to Wu demonstrates that returning to his previous level remains a difficult process.
Lee has already shown throughout his career that he possesses the attacking ability to compete with the best players in world badminton. His immediate challenge is finding the consistency and confidence required to reproduce that level over successive tournaments.
Aidil Sholeh and Lim Ming Hong Set Up All-Malaysian Clash
While Lee’s campaign ended early, Malaysia is guaranteed a men’s singles representative in the next stage after Aidil Sholeh and Lim Ming Hong both advanced.
Aidil defeated Chinese Taipei’s Ting Yen-Chen 21-8, 21-17 in straight games.
Lim had a more difficult match against another Chinese Taipei player, Wang Po Wei, eventually winning 21-16, 15-21, 21-13.
- Aidil Sholeh of Malaysia beat Ting Yen-Chen of Chinese Taipei 21-8, 21-17
- Lim Ming Hong of Malaysia beat Wang Po Wei of Chinese Taipei 21-16, 15-21, 21-13
The two Malaysians will now face each other in the round of 16, guaranteeing Malaysia a place in the men’s singles quarterfinals.
Siti Zulaikha and Goh Jin Wei Advance in Women’s Singles
Malaysia also has two players remaining in women’s singles.
Siti Zulaikha advanced to the round of 16 and will face Huang Ching Ping of Chinese Taipei.
Independent shuttler Goh Jin Wei will take on India’s third seed Isharani Baruah for a place in the quarterfinals.
Both Malaysians will have opportunities to extend the country’s singles challenge following Lee Zii Jia’s early departure.
All-Malaysian Battle in Men’s Doubles
Malaysia is also guaranteed progress in men’s doubles, where seventh seeds Choong Hon Jian and Wong Vin Sean will meet compatriots Lee Yi Bo and Lim Tze Jian.
The all-Malaysian matchup ensures one pair will advance to the next round.
For the lower-ranked combinations at a Super 100 event, the Vietnam Open also offers an important opportunity to earn ranking points and gain international match experience.
Malaysian Women’s Doubles Face Chinese and Thai Opposition
Malaysia has two women’s doubles combinations facing difficult international opposition.
Nicole Chau and Genevie Lim will meet China’s fifth seeds Liu Jia Yue and Wang Zi Meng.
Cheng Su Hui and Chong Jie Yu face Thailand’s fourth-seeded Tidapron Kleebyeesun and Nattamon Laisuan.
- Nicole Chau/Genevie Lim of Malaysia vs Liu Jia Yue/Wang Zi Meng of China
- Cheng Su Hui/Chong Jie Yu of Malaysia vs Tidapron Kleebyeesun/Nattamon Laisuan of Thailand
Three Malaysian Mixed Doubles Pairs Continue Their Campaigns
Malaysia will also have several combinations competing in mixed doubles.
Too Ming Yap and Lee Yu Shan face the tournament’s top seeds Wu Guan Xun and Lee Chia Hsin of Chinese Taipei.
Tan Zhi Yang and Teoh Mei Xing will meet another Chinese Taipei combination, Tsai Fu Cheng and Sung Yu-Hsuan.
Goh Boon Zhe and Dania Sofea have been drawn against Thailand’s seventh seeds Phuwanat Horbanluekit and Fungfa Korpthammakit.
- Too Ming Yap/Lee Yu Shan of Malaysia vs Wu Guan Xun/Lee Chia Hsin of Chinese Taipei
- Tan Zhi Yang/Teoh Mei Xing of Malaysia vs Tsai Fu Cheng/Sung Yu-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei
- Goh Boon Zhe/Dania Sofea of Malaysia vs Phuwanat Horbanluekit/Fungfa Korpthammakit of Thailand
Lee Zii Jia’s Road Back Remains Difficult
The biggest Malaysian badminton story of the day, however, remains Lee’s defeat.
His decision to compete at the Vietnam Open suggested a willingness to drop down to the Super 100 level in search of competitive rhythm rather than waiting exclusively for the biggest World Tour tournaments.
That approach can still provide important match experience, but the loss to a 20-year-old opponent ranked 30 places below him shows there is no quick solution to his current struggles.
For Wu Zhe Ying, meanwhile, the victory represents one of the biggest results of his young career and gives Chinese Taipei another promising men’s singles player to watch.
Malaysia’s Vietnam Open challenge continues through Aidil Sholeh, Lim Ming Hong, Goh Jin Wei, Siti Zulaikha and a sizeable group of doubles players, but Lee Zii Jia will once again leave a tournament earlier than he had hoped as the former world No. 2 continues working toward a return to his best badminton.
