Zii Jia’s Asian Games medal hopes over
Published on: Thursday, October 05, 2023
By: FMT
Lee Zii Jia loses to India’s world number seven HS Prannoy in the men’s singles competition in the Asian Games. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Lee Zii Jia’s Asian Games journey ended in the quarter-final stage when he fell 16-21, 23-21, 20-22 to India’s world number seven HS Prannoy in the men’s singles competition today.
World number 16 Lee took an early lead in the first game but was pegged back as Prannoy rolled off multiple points to clinch the opener at the Binjiang Gymnasium in Hangzhou, according to a report on the Olympic Games website.
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The 25-year-old Lee showed determination to save multiple match points in the second game before levelling the match.
The deciding game was a similarly close affair, and Lee, the 2021 All England champion, even had a match point at 20–19.
However, Prannoy saved it and went on to clinch the next two points to win the 78-minute match.
Prannoy will face either Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting or China’s Li Shi Feng in tomorrow’s semi-final.
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Lee stunned reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn 10-21, 21-19, 21-6 to reach the last eight on Wednesday, making amends for missing out on the quarter-finals at the 2018 edition of the Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang.
Meanwhile, the mixed doubles pair of Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei were knocked out of the quarter-finals when they fell 14-21, 21-23 to defending champions and world number one Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong of China.
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Ng Tze Yong now carries Malaysia’s hopes in the men’s singles competition, where he will face world number three Kodai Naraoka from Japan in a quarter-final tie later today.
Meanwhile, the men’s doubles pair of Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik will also see action in the last-eight, where they will meet China’s world number eight Liu Yu Chen-Ou Xuan Yi.
World number three Pearly Tan-M Thinaah are up against world number two Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee of South Korea in the women’s doubles quarter-finals.
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