New Delhi: Lee Zii Jia secured his first victory of the season in the 2024 India Open first round (a Super 750 event) on Wednesday.
Highlights of Lee Zii Jia vs. Brian Yang in the 2024 India Open first round:
having previously won all four matchups against world no. 24 Canadian, Brian Yang, the world No. 10 Lee needed 46 minutes to triumph over the Canadian with a score of 21-17, 21-19, smoothly advancing to the Round of 16.
In last week’s Malaysia Open, Lee Zii Jia suffered a 1-2 defeat against China’s Lu Guangzu, experiencing an early exit. This week, in India, Lee faced considerable pressure.
In the first game, both players started evenly, frequently exchanging leads. Yang entered the interval with an 11-10 lead, and after an 11-11 tie, he launched a 6-2 offensive, briefly leading 17-13. However, at a crucial moment, Lee Zii Jia intensified his attacks, diversifying his tactics, including deceptive shots that earned points. With an 8-0 surge, Malaysia’s top player reversed the situation, winning 21-18.
In the second game, the scores remained close. However, after a 16-16 tie, Lee Zijia once again exerted force, achieving a 4-0 offensive and securing a match point at 20-16. Despite Yang saving three match points consecutively, the final point saw Lee Zii Jia swiftly end the rally with a decisive shot. Ultimately, Lee won the second game 21-19.
Lee’s opponent in the round of 16 will be Indonesia’s 5th seed, Jonatan Christie.
In mixed doubles, Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei successfully notched their first victory in four encounters against the Indonesian duo, Rinov Rivaldy/Pitha Haningtyas Mentari.
In the first-round action of the India Open held at the K D Jadhav Indoor Hall today, the match was forced into a deciding set after Chen/Toh rallied to win the second set 21-11 following a 14-21 loss in the opening set. Chen/Toh then clinched the deciding game with a score of 21-11 in a 55-minute battle.
This triumph sets them up to face the sixth-seeded Thai pair, Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai, in the second-round action.
Meanwhile, the national men’s doubles team, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani, also advanced to the second round after defeating the Canadian pair, Adam Dong/Nyl Yakura, with a commanding score of 21-11, 21-5.
However, their real challenge lies in the second round, where they are slated to meet the eighth-seeded Chinese pair, Liu Yu Chen-Ou Xuan Yi, who triumphed over the French representatives, Lucas Corvee/Ronan Labar, with a score of 21-17, 21-9.
Meanwhile, world no. 4 Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik defeated world no. 14 Akira Koga/Taichi Saito of Japan 21-9, 19-21, 21-14 to set up a second-round meeting with another Japanese pair, world no. 31 Kenya Mitsuhashi/Hiroki Okamura.
