PETALING JAYA: Lack of consistency throughout a match again came back to haunt Lee Zii Jia.
The independent men’s singles shuttler played well in patches against Japan’s world No. 3 Kodai Naraoka but could not sustain his form and went down 24-26, 21-12, 11-21 in the first round at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Changzhou yesterday.
It was a humbling defeat for Zii Jia, who had been hoping to build on his improved displays in the Australian Open and World Championships last month where he reached the semi-finals and third round respectively.
The world No. 14 conceded that Naraoka’s game was more stable.
“I don’t think I have anything to say today (yesterday),” said Zii Jia in his post match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“This is something I have to accept and just try again.
“Kodai, as we know, has been very consistent. He’s a good rally and defensive player.
“He also makes less unforced errors and is very stable. That is his advantage.
“I managed to win the second game but he played really well at the start of the third game. Those were the big differences.
“I don’t think there is anything good for me. I just have to try again,” he added.
Zii Jia will seek to do better at the Hong Kong Open next week.
It was also an early exit for Goh Jin Wei in the women’s singles when she lost out 18-21, 12-21 to Japan’s Aya Ohori.
The independent player’s woes showed no signs of ending as she suffered her ninth straight first round defeat in World Tour competitions this year.
There was some good news though in the men’s doubles when national No. 1 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik defeated South Korea’s Choi Sol-gyu-Kim Won-ho 21-10, 25-23 to reach the second round.
Aaron-Wooi Yik will likely take on homesters He Jiting-Zhao Haodong next for a place in the last eight.
Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi are also through to the second round after beating Ren Xiangyu-Tan Qiang of China 21-16, 23-21.
In the mixed doubles, world No. 11 Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei are also safely through to the second round after beating India’s Rohan Kapoor-Sikki Reddy 21-15, 21-16.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei have a tougher task next against South Korea’s world No. 6 Kim Won-ho-Jeong Na-eun.
FIRST ROUND RESULTS
Malaysians only
Men’s singles: Kodai Naraoka (Jpn) bt Lee Zii Jia 26-24, 12-21, 21-11.
Men’s doubles: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bt Choi Sol-gyu-Kim Won-ho (Kor) 21-10, 25-23; Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi bt Ren Xiangyu-Tan Qiang (Chn) 21-16, 23-21.
Women’s singles: Aya Ohori (Jpn) bt Goh Jin Wei 21-18, 21-12.
Women’s doubles: Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien bt Rui Hirokami-Yuna Kato (Jpn) 12-21, 21-11, 22-20.
Mixed doubles: Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei bt Rohan Kapoor-Sikki Reddy (Ind) 21-15, 21-16.
