Kuala Lumpur: Former Australia Open champion Lee Zii Jia had to dig deep in Sydney before securing his place in the main draw of the Super 500 badminton tournament on Tuesday.
The Malaysian professional men’s singles player survived two tough qualifying matches in the same day, showing plenty of fighting spirit as he continued his return to competitive action.
Lee, currently ranked world No. 64, first overcame Japan’s Shogo Ogawa 24-22, 22-20 in a tight 52-minute opening qualifying match. It was a demanding start for the 2024 Australia Open champion, who had to stay composed through two close games.
His second qualifying match was even more testing. Facing another Japanese player, Riki Takei, Lee dropped the opening game 15-21 before responding with a stronger and more patient performance.
The Malaysian fought back to win the next two games 21-17, 21-16, completing the comeback after 61 minutes and confirming his place in the first round of the main draw.
Lee Zii Jia to Face Lee Chia Hao in Main Draw
Lee will now face Taiwan’s Lee Chia Hao in the opening round of the Australia Open main draw.
The match is expected to be a tougher test for Zii Jia, as Lee Chia Hao is ranked world No. 34 and has plenty of experience on the BWF World Tour.
For Zii Jia, the Australia Open is more than just another tournament. After missing the Malaysia Masters, the event gives him a chance to test his fitness, rebuild match rhythm, and measure how far he can go against stronger opposition.
Although he was pushed hard in qualifying, winning two matches in one day should give the Malaysian some confidence heading into the main draw.
Eogene Ewe Also Advances Through Qualifying
Malaysia received more positive badminton news in men’s singles as Eogene Ewe also booked his place in the Australia Open main draw.
The world No. 77 defeated India’s Manraj Singh 21-11, 21-18 in 39 minutes in the second round of qualifying.
Earlier in the day, Eogene had to recover from a game down to beat American player Mark Shelley Alcala 18-21, 21-13, 21-11 in a 62-minute qualifying battle.
His ability to come through two matches in one day will be a useful confidence boost as he moves into the next stage of the tournament.
Low Zi Yu-Noraqilah Maisarah Shock Taiwan’s Second Seeds
Malaysia’s young women’s doubles pair Low Zi Yu and Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan produced one of the biggest surprises of the opening round in Sydney.
The world No. 84 pair stunned Taiwan’s second seeds Hsieh Pei Shan and Hung En Tzu 21-19, 13-21, 21-19 in a 70-minute thriller.
It was a huge result for the Malaysian pair, especially against opponents ranked No. 8 in the world and considered among the title contenders at the Australia Open.
Zi Yu and Maisarah started with impressive discipline, staying steady under pressure to take the first game 21-19. The Taiwanese pair responded in the second game, raising their tempo and winning 21-13 to force a decider.
Instead of fading, the Malaysians showed maturity in the final game. They handled the key points better and held their nerve late in the match to close out another 21-19 game.
Malaysian Pair Eyes Second-Round Opportunity
Low Zi Yu and Noraqilah Maisarah will next face either Australia’s Jazmine Lam and Yee-Yuan Lim or another Australian pair, Sai Tanvi Mushini and Ava Wong.
On paper, the second-round draw gives the Malaysians a real opportunity to continue their run, but they will still need to maintain the same focus and energy after such a demanding first-round win.
The victory over Hsieh and Hung is an important step for the young Malaysian pair and could become one of their breakthrough results on the BWF World Tour.
Malaysia Makes Strong Start in Sydney
It was a productive day for Malaysian badminton at the Australia Open, with Lee Zii Jia and Eogene Ewe both advancing from qualifying and Low Zi Yu-Noraqilah Maisarah delivering a major upset in women’s doubles.
Lee’s return remains one of the main badminton news stories of the tournament, especially as the former champion looks to rebuild momentum in Sydney.
With the main draw now underway, Malaysia will hope its players can build on the strong opening results and make a deeper run at the Super 500 event.
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