BANGKOK: Malaysia’s men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia continued his resurgence on the World Tour after securing a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Thailand Masters on Thursday.
The 28-year-old showed resilience after dropping the opening game, regrouping strongly to defeat India’s Mithun Manjunath 11-21, 21-16, 21-12 in a 52-minute second-round encounter.
Watch highlights of the match below:
The victory marks Lee’s return to the last eight for the first time since the Orleans Masters in March 2025, offering a timely boost after early exits in three tournaments earlier this season.
A stern test now awaits the former All England champion, who is set to face tournament second seed Alwi Farhan of Indonesia. The world number 14 has been in outstanding form, having lifted the Indonesia Masters title just a week ago.
Malaysia also enjoyed a strong showing in the women’s singles event, with three representatives booking their places in the quarter-finals.
Karupathevan Letshanaa led the charge with a hard-fought victory over India’s Shriyanshi Valishetty. The 23-year-old battled for 70 minutes before prevailing 21-17, 20-22, 21-19 in a tense contest at Nimibutr Stadium.
Letshanaa will now face compatriot Goh Jin Wei, who produced an impressive comeback to eliminate sixth seed Han Qian Xi of China 12-21, 21-10, 21-16.
The all-Malaysian quarter-final guarantees the nation at least one semi-final spot in the women’s singles draw. A win for Letshanaa would also see her replicate her semi-final run at the Indonesia Masters earlier this month.
Completing an excellent day for Malaysia, rising youngster Wong Ling Ching stunned seventh seed Julie Dawall Jakobsen of Denmark with a commanding 21-18, 21-11 victory in just 34 minutes.
Ling Ching will next take on India’s Isharani Baruah, who advanced after upsetting Taiwan’s second seed Sung Shuo Yun.
In men’s doubles, Malaysia’s Chia Weijie–Lwi Sheng Hao also progressed to the quarter-finals after edging past Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun–Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 21-14, 15-21, 21-19 in a 49-minute battle.
The Malaysian pair now face a daunting challenge against top seeds Leo Rolly Carnando–Bagas Maulana of Indonesia for a place in the semi-finals.
With multiple players still in contention, Malaysia’s campaign at the 2026 Thailand Masters continues to gather momentum as the tournament moves into the decisive stages.
