Malaysia men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia in action against Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen during the final match of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia will probably face Indonesia's world No. 9 Anthony Ginting in a mouthwatering last 16 clash in the Paris Olympic Games.
The badminton competition is from July 27-Aug 5 at the Adidas Arena in Porte de la Chapelle.
While world No. 7 Zii Jia should have no problems making it out of the group, Ginting faces a tricky test against world No. 22 Popov, who will have the home support behind him.
Only the group winners will progress to the round of 16.
If both Zii Jia and Antony justify their seedings and finish top of the group, they will take on each other for a place in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, in the women's singles, world No. 33 Goh Jin Wei has a difficult task to qualify for the last 16 after she was placed in Group H with South Korea's world No. 17 Kim Ga-eun.
South Africa's Johanita Scholtz is the other player in the group.
In the women's doubles, world No. 13 Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah also have their work cut out to escape their group.
Pearly-Thinaah will face China's world No. 1 Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan, Japan's world No. 6 Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara and Indonesia's Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia Ramadhanti (No. 9) in Group A.
There was a better draw though for world No. 9 mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei as they will take on China's Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping, Singapore's Terry Hee-Jessica Tan and United States' Vinson Chiu-Jennie Gai in Group D.
The top two pairs in the group will qualify for the last eight.
The men's doubles draw has been postponed to a later date.
