KUALA LUMPUR: National No 1 men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia cleared the Malaysia Open first round as expected by ousting Nhat Nguyen of Ireland at the Axiata Arena.
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Although it was a point-for-point battle in the early part of the first game, Zii Jia, the world No 5, did not face much trouble from the world No 40 shuttler, winning 21-15, 21-11 in 47 minutes.
Commenting on the win, Zii Jia said he was now better at handling pressure compared to his last appearance in the 2019 edition, before the tournament was halted for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I am more composed and mature to handle any kind of pressure, especially with this kind of crowd here. The solid support of fans is definitely very good for players.
“However, the wind conditions this time were different from what I experienced three years ago. I have not adapted 100% to the strong draft. There is room for improvement in the next match,” he told reporters.
In the last 16 tomorrow, the 24-year-old former All England champion is expected to have another easy match against Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia, who received a walkover from Rasmus Gemke of Denmark.
Meanwhile, another Malaysian singles shuttler, Ng Tze Yong, who received an inclusion from the reserve list to play in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Tour Super 750 tournament, almost staged an upset against world No 27 Lu Guang Zu of China.
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The world No 48 fought hard close to an hour and 30 minutes before going down 16-21, 23-21, 18-21 to the 2021 Sudirman Cup winner after suffering a leg cramp.
The 22-year-old Johorean said he could have won the match if he had been quicker when tied at 18-18 in the decider.
“I was determined to go all out for a win. My training in the past few weeks went well, but the injury is no excuse for the defeat.
“I will have to be better focused and rectify my weaknesses to ensure victory if given another chance like this,” he said.
Tze Yong will now focus on preparing for the Malaysia Masters next week, followed by the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham from July 28 to Aug 8.-BERNAMA