Chengdu: Viktor Axelsen sends a message to Lee Zii Jia, “You better avoid me around the hotel 😂😂😂”
Before their final Group D tie at the 2024 Thomas Cup Finals, both Denmark and Malaysia teams had already been stirring tension on social media?
In the ongoing Thomas Cup Finals in Chengdu, China, both Malaysia and Denmark won their first two ties against Hong Kong and Algeria respectively, and will face off on Tuesday, in a battle for the Group D champions, with the first men’s singles match between Lee Zii Jia and Viktor Axelsen being a highly anticipated match.
World No. 10 Lee Zii Jia, interviewed after his match against Algeria, expressed his anticipation for a match against Viktor Axelsen, saying, “Last year there were two opportunities to play against him, but unfortunately he was injured.”
“The last time I played against him was two years ago (in the semifinals of the 2022 Indonesia Open, a Super 1000 tournament), and I am looking forward to playing against him again. I believe many people are looking forward to our match, and I hope we both can give our best performance,” added Lee.
Lee and Axelsen met in 2023 in the quarterfinals of the Sudirman Cup in May last year, but when the two were tied at 4-4 in the first game, Axelsen announced his withdrawal due to injury.
Then, in the October Denmark Open – Super 750 tournament, Lee and Axelsen met again in the second round, but Axelsen once again announced his withdrawal due to injury before the match.
This also means that on Tuesday, after nearly two years, the two will once again engage in a complete match, having faced each other a total of 8 times, with Axelsen winning 5 times.
Malaysian media – “The Star” hyped up the upcoming match between Lee Zii Jia and Axelsen with the headline “I got my eye on you” in the newspaper, amplifying Lee Zii Jia’s expression of anticipation for a rematch with Axelsen, and wrote, “The psychological warfare between Lee Zii Jia and Viktor has begun the day before the big clash between Malaysia and Denmark.”
A fan, upon discovering The Star’s report, posted a screenshot of the newspaper page on their IG story on social media and tagged Lee Zii Jia and Axelsen, which unexpectedly elicited a response from Axelsen.
The World No. 1 Axelsen reposted the fan’s tagged content on his IG story and social media, tagging Lee Zii Jia and writing, “I didn’t know there is a psychological war going on @leeziijia 😂. Now I have no choice but to start the use of my psychological weapons! Starting now!!! You better avoid me around the hotel 😂😂😂”
