Badminton: Zii Jia falls in Australia Open semis

Lee ended his run in the semi-finals of the Australia Open on Aug 5. - Filepic

PETALING JAYA: Independent shuttler Lee Zii Jia’s run in the Australia Open came to an end in the semi-finals in Sydney on Saturday (Aug 5).

World No. 24 Weng Hongyang of China ended Zii Jia’s spirited run in the tournament with a 21-19, 13-21, 21-13 win in a gruelling 81-minute battle.

Zii Jia, the world No. 17, had lost in the first round of the last two tournaments – Korea and Japan Opens – under his new coach Wong Tat Meng.

The performance in the Australia Open was his best result since reaching the Swiss Open semi-finals in March.