Zii Jia beats Kodai to reach All-England second round

PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia pulled off a stunning win over Japan's world No. 6 Kodai Naraoka to march into the second round of the All-England.

World No. 10 Zii Jia played with aggression and intelligence to come away with an impressive 21-12, 21-19 victory at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham on Wednesday (March 13).

It was sweet revenge for the independent player after he lost to the Japanese in the quarter-finals of the Indian Open in New Delhi in January.

Zii Jia, who is Malaysia's sole men's singles representative in the tournament, will face Singapore's 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew next for a place in the quarter-finals.