Gold medallist Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand and bronze medallist Zii Jia Lee of Malaysia pose with their medals on the podium. - REUTERS/Ann Wang
PETALING JAYA: A probable match-up between Lee Zii Jia and Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand will not take place in the Japan Open starting on Tuesday (Aug 20) in Yokohama.
The reigning world champion and Olympic Games silver medal winner Kunlavut and two-time Olympic Games champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark have withdrawn from the Open and the draw has been changed for the remaining seeded players.
Kunlavut had beaten Zii Jia in the semi-finals of the recent Olympic Games in Paris and barring any upset, the duo were expected to clash in the quarter-finals in Japan.
Now, the sixth seed Zii Jia, who beat India's Lakshya Sen in the bronze-medal playoff in Paris two weeks ago, does not have to be worried about his first and second round matches on Tuesday and Wednesday as his opponents Weng Hongyang of China and Loh Kean Yew of Singapore have been moved.
He will now play Alex Lanier of France in the opener on Tuesday instead and may meet Auro Chico of Indonesia in the second round.
Without early potential dangers, Zii Jia is expected to cruise to the last eight where he is likely to face Hongyang or Kenta Nishimoto of Japan.
His biggest challenge is expected to be in the semis if he goes that far as he probably may meet top seed Shi Yuqi of China.
The world No. 1 Yuqi however, may have to overcome Koki Watanabe of Japan and Anthony Ginting of Indonesia to make the last four.
In the bottom half, without the second seed Viktor, the others who will be out to make their presence felt are Kean Yew, Kodai Naraoka of Japan, Lu Guangzu of China, Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan, and Malaysia's Leong Jun Hao to mention a few.
