Saarbrücken, Germany, October 28, 2026: Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia overcame a high fever and vomiting to reach the second round of the 2026 HYLO Open on Wednesday, defeating Singapore’s Jason Teh Jia Heng 21-16, 19-21, 21-17 in a hard-fought 59-minute men’s singles encounter.
The former All England champion revealed after the match that he had visited a hospital the previous day because of his illness. Despite his condition, Lee refused to withdraw from the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament and fought through three games to secure his place in the last 16.
Currently ranked world No. 42, Lee will next face Japan’s world No. 9 Kodai Naraoka on Thursday for a place in the quarterfinals.
Lee Zii Jia Overcomes Illness to Beat Jason Teh
Lee entered his opening match against world No. 33 Jason Teh far from full fitness after experiencing a high fever and vomiting before the tournament.
Nevertheless, the Malaysian made a positive start, taking the opening game 21-16.
Teh responded in the second game, edging Lee 21-19 to force a decider.
With the match hanging in the balance, Lee recovered to win the third game 21-17, completing a demanding victory after 59 minutes.
The result was particularly meaningful given the physical difficulties he had endured less than 24 hours earlier.
Watch Highlights: Lee Zii Jia vs. Jason Teh Jia Heng – 2026 HYLO Open First Round
Lee Zii Jia Reveals Hospital Visit Before HYLO Open Match
Speaking to Badminton Europe after his victory, Lee revealed how close his illness had come to disrupting his HYLO Open campaign.
“Actually, I went to the hospital yesterday. I had a high fever and was vomiting. But I just didn’t want to give up,” Lee said.
The Malaysian also explained his emotional reaction after securing the victory.
“That’s why you could see my emotions just now, because I had overcome something very difficult for me.”
Lee’s determination to compete despite his condition added another dimension to a victory that required him to recover after losing the second game.
Watch Lee Zii Jia’s Post-Match Interview
Video source: Badminton Europe
Lee Zii Jia Draws Strength From IU’s Music
Lee had earlier shared on Instagram that he was drawing encouragement from South Korean singer IU and her music while competing in Germany.
The Malaysian’s determination comes during a period in which he has been working to regain consistency on the international circuit.
Three weeks earlier, Lee reached the semifinals of the Arctic Open, another BWF World Tour Super 500 event, providing encouragement ahead of his latest European tournament.
His HYLO Open opening-round victory now gives him another opportunity to build momentum, although his immediate priority will be recovering from illness.
Lee Zii Jia Faces Kodai Naraoka in Round of 16
Lee’s next opponent will be Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, who reached the men’s singles final at the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi in August.
Ranked world No. 9, Naraoka presents a significant challenge for the Malaysian, particularly given Lee’s recent health concerns.
The two players have met six times previously, with their head-to-head record tied at three victories each.
Lee will need to recover sufficiently before Thursday’s encounter as he attempts to reach the HYLO Open quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the first-round results also confirmed the elimination of another Malaysian men’s singles player, Cheam June Wei, who lost 18-21, 17-21 to India’s Kiran George.
George will face compatriot Lakshya Sen in the second round after the seventh seed recovered from a game down to defeat Finland’s Joakim Oldorff.
Complete Tournament Results
2026 HYLO Open – Men’s Singles First Round
Lee Zii Jia (Malaysia) defeated Jason Teh Jia Heng (Singapore), 21-16, 19-21, 21-17.
Julien Carraggi (Belgium) defeated Noah Haase (Netherlands), 21-16, 21-17.
Toma Junior Popov (France) defeated H. S. Prannoy (India), 23-21, 21-16.
Kiran George (India) defeated Cheam June Wei (Malaysia), 21-18, 21-17.
Lakshya Sen (India) defeated Joakim Oldorff (Finland), 16-21, 21-9, 21-13.
