Kuala Lumpur: Although Lee Zii Jia was able to advance to the semi-finals of the Malaysia Masters, his victory was overshadowed by muscle cramps throughout his body that he experienced after the quarter-final match against Anders Antonsen.
The update was shared by his manager, who is also his sister, Lee Zii Yii.
Lee Zii Jia, who is ranked 10th in the world, secured a ticket to the semi-finals after defeating the second seed from Denmark, Anders Antonsen, 21-15, 19-21, 21-11 in an 83-minute match at Axiata Arena.
Highlights of Lee Zii Jia vs. Anders Antonsen in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Malaysia Masters:
As soon as he sealed the victory in the match, Lee Zii Jia was seen limping off the court.
According to Lee Zii Yii, Lee was immediately taken to the National Sports Institute (ISN) for an ice bath recovery session after the match.
“Everyone could see, after the second set he received treatment from the medical team,” said Lee Zii Yii.
“His legs were cramping and tired from playing in back-to-back tournaments after the Thailand Open, and he also faced a tough match against an Indian player (Kiran George) yesterday.”
“After the match, he experienced cramps… sitting, standing, and walking were all painful. So, we took him to ISN for an ice bath,” she said.
When asked whether Lee Zii Jia could play in the semi-final match, where he will face Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long, Zii Yii said they need to reassess Lee Zii Jia’s condition Saturday morning.
“We will try our best to help him recover. We will see his condition tomorrow, right now we cannot say anything for sure,” said Lee Zii Yii.
Last Sunday, Lee Zii Jia won his first title of the season, clinching the Thailand Open by defeating Ka Long in the final.
Meanwhile, two of the country’s men’s doubles pairs, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik and Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin, were knocked out in the quarter-finals after losing to their respective opponents.
Top seeds Aaron/Wooi Yik lost to South Korea’s Jin Yong/Na Sung Seung, 21-11, 19-21, 19-21, while Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin were defeated by the second seeds from Denmark, Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, 19-21, 17-21.
Meanwhile, the World No. 47 men’s pair from Malaysia, Wan Arif Wan Junaidi/Yap Roy King, continued their epic journey in this tournament by defeating the World No. 18 pair from Denmark, Rasmus Kjaer/Frederik Sogaard, in the quarter-finals.
With the strong support of the fans present at Axiata Arena, Junaidi/Yap delivered a strong performance to secure a three-set victory, 21-14, 18-21, 21-18. They will meet Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen on Saturday.
