South Korea: Malaysia’s Eogene Ewe produced one of the biggest results of the Korea Masters opening round by defeating former All England champion Lee Zii Jia in straight games.
The world No. 75 needed only 28 minutes to overcome the world No. 54 Lee 21-9, 21-19 at the Asan Yi Sun-sin Gymnasium.
Eogene controlled the match from the opening rallies and maintained his composure when Lee attempted to recover late in the second game. The victory sent the young Malaysian into the round of 16 at the BWF World Tour Super 300 badminton tournament.
Eogene Ewe Dominates Opening Game
Eogene entered the all-Malaysian contest with confidence and immediately placed Lee under pressure.
His movement, shot selection and control of the rallies prevented Lee from establishing an attacking rhythm. Eogene pulled away quickly and completed a one-sided opening game 21-9.
Lee offered stronger resistance after the change of ends, but Eogene continued to play with patience and discipline.
The second game became more competitive as Lee attempted to extend the match. Eogene, however, remained calm during the closing stages and secured the decisive points to win 21-19.
- Category: Men’s singles first round
- Winner: Eogene Ewe of Malaysia
- Opponent: Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia
- Score: 21-9, 21-19
- Match duration: 28 minutes
- World rankings: Eogene No. 75; Lee No. 54
Watch Eogene Ewe vs. Lee Zii Jia Highlights
Lee Zii Jia’s Positive Run Comes to an End
The defeat ended a more encouraging period for Lee, who had avoided first-round elimination in his previous three BWF World Tour tournaments.
That stretch included a run to the Canada Open semifinals, where Lee showed signs of rebuilding his confidence and competitive rhythm.
Against Eogene, however, the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalist was unable to recover from his slow opening game. Although his performance improved in the second, Eogene denied him the opportunity to force a deciding game.
Eogene will next continue his challenge against Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang, with a place in the Korea Masters quarterfinals at stake.
Cheam June Wei Upsets Second Seed Jason Teh
Cheam June Wei added another notable Malaysian victory by eliminating Singapore’s second seed Jason Teh.
The independent Malaysian player delivered a composed performance to win 21-13, 21-19.
Cheam controlled the opening game before overcoming a stronger challenge from Jason in the second. His straight-game victory earned him a place in the round of 16 against China’s Dong Tian Yao.
- Winner: Cheam June Wei of Malaysia
- Opponent: Jason Teh of Singapore
- Score: 21-13, 21-19
- Next opponent: Dong Tian Yao of China
Dong is expected to provide a demanding test as Cheam attempts to reach the men’s singles quarterfinals.
Lim Ming Hong Eliminated by Harry Huang
Another Malaysian professional, Lim Ming Hong, saw his campaign end against England’s Harry Huang.
Huang, ranked No. 60 in the world, dominated the opening game 21-8 before Lim responded with a 21-16 victory in the second.
The English player regained control in the deciding game and completed a 21-16 win.
- Winner: Harry Huang of England
- Opponent: Lim Ming Hong of Malaysia
- Score: 21-8, 16-21, 21-16
Aaron Chia-Aaron Tai Continue Strong Form
Aaron Chia and Aaron Tai carried their encouraging Taipei Open form into the Korea Masters by defeating India’s Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu.
The Malaysian partnership, which finished runner-up at the Taipei Open, secured a 21-17, 21-15 opening-round victory.
Aaron and Tai were tested during the early exchanges but gradually took control through stronger front-court play and more consistent attacking pressure.
- Category: Men’s doubles first round
- Winners: Aaron Chia/Aaron Tai of Malaysia
- Opponents: Bhargav Ram Arigela/Viswa Tej Gobburu of India
- Score: 21-17, 21-15
Aaron-Aaron to Face Choi Sol Gyu-Goh V Shem
A more difficult challenge awaits Aaron and Tai in the second round against second seeds Choi Sol Gyu and Goh V Shem.
The South Korean-Malaysian partnership advanced after comfortably defeating India’s Achutaditya Rao and Arjun Reddy 21-3, 21-10.
The matchup will place Aaron and Tai against two highly experienced players as the Malaysians attempt to secure a quarterfinal berth.
- Second-round match: Aaron Chia/Aaron Tai vs. Choi Sol Gyu/Goh V Shem
Chen Tang Jie-Clarissa San Win All-Malaysian Match
Chen Tang Jie and Clarissa San progressed in mixed doubles after defeating fellow Malaysians Low Han Chen and Chan Wen Tse.
Chen and Clarissa stayed composed in two competitive games to complete a 21-19, 21-18 victory.
- Winners: Chen Tang Jie/Clarissa San of Malaysia
- Opponents: Low Han Chen/Chan Wen Tse of Malaysia
- Score: 21-19, 21-18
- Next opponents: Wu Hsuan Yi/Yang Chu Yun of Chinese Taipei
They will next meet Chinese Taipei’s fourth seeds Wu Hsuan Yi and Yang Chu Yun for a place in the last eight.
Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin Complete Comeback
Jimmy Wong and Cheng Su Yin recovered from a game down to defeat Japan’s Kenta Matsukawa and Sumire Nakade.
The Japanese pair won the opening game 21-14, but Jimmy and Cheng responded by taking the second 21-15.
The Malaysians then controlled the deciding game and completed the comeback 21-10.
- Winners: Jimmy Wong/Cheng Su Yin of Malaysia
- Opponents: Kenta Matsukawa/Sumire Nakade of Japan
- Score: 14-21, 21-15, 21-10
- Next opponents: Joon Young Kim/Lee Yu Lim of South Korea
Loo Bing Kun-Noraqilah Maisarah Advance
Loo Bing Kun and Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan also came from behind to win their mixed doubles opener.
The Malaysian pair lost the first game against India’s Dhruv Rawat and Maneesha K 18-21 before improving their control and organization.
Loo and Noraqilah took the next two games 21-14, 21-17 to book a second-round meeting with Australia’s Andika Ramadiansyah and Nozomi Shimizu.
- Winners: Loo Bing Kun/Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan of Malaysia
- Opponents: Dhruv Rawat/Maneesha K of India
- Score: 18-21, 21-14, 21-17
- Next opponents: Andika Ramadiansyah/Nozomi Shimizu of Australia
Low Zi Yu-Noraqilah Maisarah Exit Women’s Doubles
Noraqilah’s women’s doubles campaign ended in the opening round alongside Low Zi Yu.
The Malaysians won a close first game against South Korea’s Moon In Seo and Park Se Ul 21-19, but the home pair responded by taking the second 21-18.
Moon and Park maintained their momentum in the deciding game and completed the comeback 21-17.
- Winners: Moon In Seo/Park Se Ul of South Korea
- Opponents: Low Zi Yu/Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan of Malaysia
- Score: 19-21, 21-18, 21-17
Malaysia’s Korea Masters Results
- Eogene Ewe: Defeated Lee Zii Jia 21-9, 21-19
- Cheam June Wei: Defeated Jason Teh 21-13, 21-19
- Lim Ming Hong: Lost to Harry Huang 8-21, 21-16, 16-21
- Aaron Chia/Aaron Tai: Defeated Bhargav Ram Arigela/Viswa Tej Gobburu 21-17, 21-15
- Chen Tang Jie/Clarissa San: Defeated Low Han Chen/Chan Wen Tse 21-19, 21-18
- Jimmy Wong/Cheng Su Yin: Defeated Kenta Matsukawa/Sumire Nakade 14-21, 21-15, 21-10
- Loo Bing Kun/Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan: Defeated Dhruv Rawat/Maneesha K 18-21, 21-14, 21-17
- Low Zi Yu/Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan: Lost to Moon In Seo/Park Se Ul 21-19, 18-21, 17-21
Eogene Ewe Delivers Major Korea Masters Upset
Eogene’s victory over Lee provided the leading Malaysian badminton news from the opening round in Asan.
Defeating an Olympic medalist and former All England champion in only 28 minutes represents an important result for the developing Malaysian player.
His next challenge will be to build on that performance and show the same confidence against Su Li Yang in the round of 16.
With Cheam June Wei, Aaron Chia-Aaron Tai and three Malaysian mixed doubles combinations also advancing, Malaysia will retain a strong presence as the Korea Masters moves toward the quarterfinal stage.
