KUALA LUMPUR – Tomorrow’s quarter-final at the Malaysia Masters promises to be an intense showdown between two close friends, Lee Zii Jia and Anders Antonsen, in the men’s singles event, each with distinct missions in this championship.
Zii Jia is increasingly comfortable performing at the Axiata Arena, a venue that has haunted him in the past, as he advanced from the second round today by defeating Indian shuttler Kiran George with scores of 21-13, 21-18.
This marks Zii Jia’s first quarter-final appearance on home soil in four years as he has often been eliminated early at both the Malaysia Masters and the Malaysia Open.
To replicate his 2020 Malaysia Masters success, Zii Jia must devise a winning strategy against his good friend Antonsen, who is currently in prime form.
Out of their seven previous encounters, Zii Jia has only won twice, with Antonsen prevailing in their most recent clash at the Japan Masters last year.
“It’s going to be a tough match, and he just won the Malaysia Open in January. I don’t think it will be easy to beat him, but I will give my best to challenge him.
“I need to be patient when facing him tomorrow, as he is a world-renowned player who is not easy to defeat.
“We are professional, we fight in the arena, and after the match, we are friends again. So it won’t affect our friendship.
“At this point, everyone is facing the same situation, back-to-back tournaments, so for me, it’s not an excuse,” said Zii Jia.
Antonsen, excited to face Zii Jia, is ready to set aside their friendship to pursue a spot in the semi-finals.
He continues his momentum after defeating compatriot Magnus Johannessen with scores of 21-12, 21-10.
Tomorrow’s match will also demonstrate the effectiveness of Antonsen’s training in Kuala Lumpur, as the Danish player arrived in Malaysia over two weeks ago following the conclusion of his Thomas Cup campaign in Chengdu, China.
“That could be very, very fun. Obviously, he’s coming in with a lot of confidence, and he’s probably having the support from the home crowd. It’s going to be very fun. I believe even though I’m maybe one against many in there.
“We’ve had a good relationship for a while. So on match day, you put the friendship aside and you have a good fight on the court, and then afterwards, you become friends again.
“But definitely, tomorrow, me and Zii Jia are rivals,” said Antonsen. – May 23, 2024