Vantaa, Finland: Lee Zii Jia delivered his biggest victory in nearly two years on Friday, sweeping world No. 2 Christo Popov in straight games to reach the men’s singles semifinals of the 2026 Arctic Open.
Malaysia also celebrated in men’s doubles as temporary combination Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King continued their impressive run with a 21-13, 21-19 quarterfinal victory over Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon TeeraratSakul.
Lee Zii Jia Beats Christo Popov 21-11, 21-16
Watch Highlights of Lee Zii Jia vs. Christo Popov in the 2026 Arctic Open:
(source: BWF)
World No. 56 Lee produced one of his most convincing performances since returning from a difficult period affected by ankle and back injuries, defeating the tournament’s second seed Popov 21-11, 21-16.
The result extended Lee’s perfect record against the Frenchman to three wins from three meetings.
- Winner: Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia
- Defeated: Christo Popov of France
- Score: 21-11, 21-16
- Round: 2026 Arctic Open quarterfinal
Lee seized control quickly in the opening game. After the score reached 2-2, the Malaysian reeled off six consecutive points and never allowed Popov to regain control.
Leading 14-10, Lee produced another four-point burst before comfortably closing out the game 21-11.
The second was considerably tighter early on. The players traded points until 9-9 before Lee created separation with three straight points. He maintained the advantage through the closing stages and finished the match 21-16.
Lee Zii Jia Claims First Top-10 Win Since 2024
The victory carried extra significance for Lee, who had not beaten a player ranked inside the world’s top 10 since suffering an injury at the World Tour Finals in December 2024.
Lee Zii Jia talks to Badminton Europe after the match:
(source: Badminton Europe)
Lee acknowledged the quality of his opponent after the match.
“To beat world No. 2 Christo Popov today was definitely not easy,” Lee said.
Earlier this year, Lee defeated Japan’s Koki Watanabe, then ranked inside the top 20, during the Thomas Cup group stage. The win over Popov represents another important step as he tries to rebuild his confidence and ranking.
Christo Popov Praises Lee Zii Jia’s Performance
Popov admitted Lee’s level caught him off guard despite arriving prepared for the quarterfinal.
“I was prepared coming into the match, but Lee was playing great. He was simply the better player today,” Popov said.
The Frenchman will now turn his attention to the Denmark Open.
Lee Zii Jia to Face Anders Antonsen in Semifinal
Lee’s semifinal opponent will be Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, who defeated China’s Hu Zhe An 22-20, 21-19 in the other quarterfinal in their half of the draw.
- Anders Antonsen (Denmark) beat Hu Zhe An (China) 22-20, 21-19
- Semifinal: Lee Zii Jia (Malaysia) vs Anders Antonsen (Denmark)
Antonsen, who is also a friend of Lee away from competition, expects a difficult battle if the Malaysian reproduces his quarterfinal form.
“If Lee Zii Jia plays like he played against Christo Popov today, it is going to be a huge challenge for me,” Antonsen said.
“But I am going to play my best tomorrow.”
For Lee, the semifinal marks his second BWF World Tour last-four appearance of the season after reaching the Canada Open semifinals in July.
Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King Continue Impressive Run
Watch Highlights of Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King vs. Peeratchai Sukphun/Pakkapon TeeraratSakul in the 2026 Arctic Open:
(source: Match 4U)
Malaysia also has a semifinalist in men’s doubles after Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King defeated Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon TeeraratSakul.
The newly formed Malaysian pair controlled the opening game 21-13 before facing stronger resistance in the second. Aaron and Yap remained composed late in the game to complete the victory 21-19.
- Winners: Aaron Tai/Yap Roy King of Malaysia
- Defeated: Peeratchai Sukphun/Pakkapon TeeraratSakul of Thailand
- Score: 21-13, 21-19
Aaron-Yap will next face Denmark’s Christian Faust Kjaer and Rasmus Kjaer for a place in the final.
2026 Arctic Open Men’s Doubles Semifinals
- Aaron Tai/Yap Roy King (Malaysia) vs Christian Faust Kjaer/Rasmus Kjaer (Denmark)
- Lai Po Yu/Tsai Fu Cheng (Chinese Taipei) vs Julien Maio/William Villeger (France)
Ratchanok Intanon Survives P. V. Sindhu Challenge
In women’s singles, Thailand’s top seed Ratchanok Intanon needed three games to overcome India’s P. V. Sindhu.
Ratchanok dominated the opener 21-11 before Sindhu responded 21-19. The Thai star then edged the deciding game 21-18 to reach the semifinals.
- Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand) beat P. V. Sindhu (India) 21-11, 19-21, 21-18
She will next face Denmark’s Line Christophersen. The tournament bracket shows Christophersen advancing against Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong with the score at 18-21, 21-14, 1-1 when the match ended.
Nozomi Okuhara Beats Tomoka Miyazaki
Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara also reached the women’s singles semifinals after winning an all-Japanese battle against second seed Tomoka Miyazaki.
- Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) beat Tomoka Miyazaki (Japan) 17-21, 21-17, 21-19
Okuhara will meet Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt in the semifinals. The attached tournament bracket shows Blichfeldt advancing over China’s Han Yue with the score displayed at 20-18 when the match ended.
2026 Arctic Open Women’s Singles Semifinals
- Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand) vs Line Christophersen (Denmark)
- Mia Blichfeldt (Denmark) vs Nozomi Okuhara (Japan)
China Sets Up All-Chinese Mixed Doubles Semifinal
Top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping cruised into the mixed doubles semifinals with a 21-7, 21-17 victory over Sweden’s Filip Karlborg and Tilda Sjoo.
- Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (China) beat Filip Karlborg/Tilda Sjoo (Sweden) 21-7, 21-17
They will face Chinese teammates Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin, who defeated Chinese Taipei’s Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan 21-10, 21-15.
- Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin (China) beat Ye Hong Wei/Nicole Gonzales Chan (Chinese Taipei) 21-10, 21-15
Liu Kuang Heng-Hsu Yin-Hui Reach Mixed Doubles Semifinal
Chinese Taipei’s Liu Kuang Heng and Hsu Yin-Hui recovered from losing the opening game to eliminate China’s Zhu Yi Jun and Li Qian.
- Liu Kuang Heng/Hsu Yin-Hui (Chinese Taipei) beat Zhu Yi Jun/Li Qian (China) 19-21, 21-19, 21-16
Their semifinal opponents will be China’s Gao Jia Xuan and Wu Meng Ying, who survived two extremely tight games against Japan’s Akira Koga and Natsu Saito.
- Gao Jia Xuan/Wu Meng Ying (China) beat Akira Koga/Natsu Saito (Japan) 25-23, 23-21
2026 Arctic Open Mixed Doubles Semifinals
- Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (China) vs Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin (China)
- Liu Kuang Heng/Hsu Yin-Hui (Chinese Taipei) vs Gao Jia Xuan/Wu Meng Ying (China)
Lee Zii Jia and Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King Keep Malaysia in the Hunt
Malaysia will enter semifinal day with major opportunities in both men’s singles and men’s doubles.
Lee’s victory over Popov is his clearest sign yet that his game is moving in the right direction, while Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King continue to exceed expectations as a newly formed partnership.
Lee now faces close friend Anders Antonsen for a place in the men’s singles final, while Aaron-Yap will attempt to extend their breakthrough run against Denmark’s Kjaer brothers.
