PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has reached the last 16 of the Olympic Games again – but this time, he is determined to go one step better.
Zii Jia easily beat Spanish veteran Pablo Abian 21-10, 21-13 in his second Group G match at Adidas Arena in Port de la Chapelle yesterday to book his spot in the last 16.
The world No. 7 will next take on either Indonesia’s world No. 9 Anthony Ginting or Frenchman Toma Popov today for a place in the quarter-finals.
Zii Jia is aiming for a better outing in his second appearance in the Olympics after going down in the last 16 to China’s Chen Long in his debut in 2021.
“I have entered the last 16 in the Olympics again. Hopefully, I will get a better result in this Olympics,” said Zii Jia in his post match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“Pablo (39 years old) gave me a lot of pressure at the start of the game but still I managed to handle it well.
Zii Jia does not want to take any opponents lightly, especially after Lakshya Sen of India had upstaged Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in another group match to reach the last 16.
“Both Popov and Ginting are experienced players. There are upsets in the Olympics and whoever I face tomorrow (today), it will be a tough match,” said the 25-year-old.
The independent player is out to continue his good form after capturing the Thailand and Australian Open titles and finishing runners-up to Denmark’s defending Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in the Malaysian Masters in May and June.
RESULTS
ARCHERY
Women individual recurve
First round: Ariana Nur Dania Mohd Zairi lost to Italian Chiara Rebagliati 5-6 (27-27, 25-24, 27-28, 28-29,29-27).
BADMINTON
Men’s singles
Group A: Shi Yuqi (Chn) bt Giovanni Totti (Ita) 21-9, 21-10.
Group C: Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) bt Kalle Koljonen (Fin) 21-4, 8-0, rtd.
Group G: Lee Zii Jia (Mas) bt Pablo Abian (Spa) 21-10, 21-13.
Group L: Lakshya Sen (Ind) bt Jonatan Christie (Ina) 21-18, 21-12.
Group P: Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt Nhat Nguyen (Irl) 21-13, 21-10; Misha Zilberman (Isr) bt Prince Dahal (Nep) 21-12, 21-10.
Men’s doubles
Group B: Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae (Kor) bt Supak Jomkoh-Kittinupong Kedren (Tha) 21-16, 21-15.
Group D: Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi (Chn) bt Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi (Jpn) 22-20, 21-18.
Women’s singles
Group C: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Michelle Li (Can) 22-24, 21-17, 21-12.
Group H: Kim Ga-eun (Kor) bt Goh Jin Wei (Mas) 21-17, 20-22, 23-21.
Group K: Zhang Beiwen (US) bt Nguyen Thuy Linh (Vie) 22-20, 22-20.
Group M: P. V. Sindhu (Ind) bt Kristin Kuuba (Est) 21-5, 21-10.
Women’s doubles
Group D: Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee (Kor) bt Jongkolphan Kititharakul-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) 21-9, 21-12;
Maiken Fruergaard-Sara Thygesen (Den) bt Margot Lambert-Anne Tran (Fra) 21-16, 21-12.
