Kumamoto: Lee Zii Jia once again needed three sets to secure his spot in the quarterfinals of the Kumamoto Masters in Japan, defeating Taiwan’s Su Li Yang on Thursday.
After losing the first set 19-21, world number seven Lee Zii Jia bounced back to dominate the next two sets, winning 21-8, 21-16 in a match lasting 63 minutes.
Highlights of Lee Zii Jia vs. Su Li Yang in the 2024 Kumamoto Masters Japan second round:
Seeded fifth in the tournament, the victory boosts Lee’s morale as he strives to secure his ticket to the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, next month.
On Wednesday, Lee Zii Jia also faced a tough challenge from compatriot Justin Hoh before emerging victorious 21-16, 12-21, 21-17 in a 62-minute match.
Currently ranked sixth in the World Tour Finals qualification with 69,900 points, Lee Zii Jia remains vulnerable to being overtaken by other players if mistakes are made. Lee will take on World No. 6 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia next.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao continued his impressive run, defeating world number 11 Koki Watanabe to advance to the quarterfinals.
The world number 31 also needed three sets, overcoming the Japanese player 21-10, 16-21, 21-13. Yesterday, Leong defeated India’s world number 17 Lakshya Sen. He will next face another Japanese player, second seed Kodai Naraoka, in the quarterfinals.
Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pair, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, saw their hopes of qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals diminish after being knocked out in the second round of the Kumamoto Masters.
Seeded fourth in this BWF Super 500 tournament, Chia/Soh fell to Taiwan’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh/Wang Chi Lin in straight sets, 11-21, 13-21. The world number six pair were defeated in just 26 minutes by the world number 59 Taiwanese duo.
Fresh off their first title win of the year at the Korea Masters last week, Chia/Soh had needed to reach at least the semifinals in both the Kumamoto and China Masters to qualify for the prestigious year-end tournament. However, a series of errors proved costly for the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalists.
Elsewhere, another Malaysian men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin were also eliminated in the second round, falling short of adding another BWF Tour title to their collection.
Seeded fifth, the world number eight pair lost to compatriots Nur Azriyn Ayub/Tan Wee Kiong in straight sets, 21-9, 23-21, in 36 minutes. Nur Azriyn Ayub/Tan Wee Kiong, ranked 40th in the world, will face Chiu Hsiang Chieh/Wang Chi Lin in the quarterfinals.
Malaysia’s hopes remain alive in the men’s doubles, as Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun advanced to the quarterfinals. However, the world number 14 pair faces a tough challenge against Indonesia’s third seeds, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, on Friday.