Marching forward: Singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia continues his fine form in India. - S.S.KANESAN/THE STAR
PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia kept the Malaysian flag flying when he made his way into the quarter-finals of the Indian Open after dismantling Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 21-15, 21-13 on Thursday (Jan 18).
This marks Zii Jia’s fifth straight win over the world No. 5 Jonatan out of their previous nine meetings.
Zii Jia will have a Japanese challenge ahead of him in the next round on Friday as he will either face Takuma Obayashi or Kodai Naraoka in a bid to enter the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, it was a day of mixed fortune for Malaysia in the mixed doubles.
Husband-wife pair of Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie made it to the quarter-finals after they defeated China’s Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi 26-24, 21-10.
They will take on China’s Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin in the quarter-finals.
However, it was over for Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei as they lost 19-21, 16-21 to Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai in the second round.
The run of Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani have also ended in the second round of the women and men's doubles matches.
Pearly-Thinaah went down 16-21, 13-21 to Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida while Sze Fei-Izzuddin fought hard before losing 19-21, 21-17, 17-21 to China's Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi.
