KUALA LUMPUR – Independent men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia may have found the solution to his recent struggles as he smoothly navigated through the second round of the Indonesia Open yesterday.
Yet, a new challenge awaits as he prepares to face the reigning world champion, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, later today – vying for a spot in the semi-finals.
Zii Jia staged an impressive comeback against China’s Weng Hong Yang in the second round, clinching victory with a score of 20-22, 21-9, 21-16.
This win holds immense significance for Zii Jia, who has been grappling with issues like regaining focus after trailing behind.
Just two weeks ago at Malaysia Masters, he found an answer to another longstanding issue. He broke his early exit streak on home soil and advanced to the finals for the first time before conceding to Viktor Axelsen.
“I didn’t expect to win because the first set was very difficult. Even though I was leading 20-18, I couldn’t close out the match.
“After the first set, I felt my confidence dwindling a lot, and you could see that I didn’t fully concentrate at the start of the second set.
“Nevertheless, I’m happy that I finally managed to overcome this problem.
“So far, I’m satisfied with what I’ve achieved over the past three consecutive tournaments, and I hope to continue this momentum,” said Zii Jia in a post-match interview with SpoTV.
Although Zii Jia is currently in his best form, his physical condition will be crucial in today’s quarter-final match, considering this is his third tournament in four weeks – excluding the Singapore Open where he withdrew in the first round.
On the other hand, Kunlavut seems to be in good shape as he hasn’t participated in any tournaments since reaching the semi-finals of the Thailand Open on May 18 until his appearance at Istora Senayan.
On paper, Zii Jia holds a slight advantage over Kunlavut, who ranks eighth in the world.
Of their seven previous encounters, Zii Jia emerged victorious in four. Their last meeting occurred at the Hangzhou Asian Games in October last year.
“He’s a world champion, it won’t be easy, so I have to give my all,” he added. – Jun 7, 2024