KUALA LUMPUR: Former champion Lee Zii Jia’s hopes of mounting a strong challenge at the All-England went up in smoke after he crashed out in the first round of the men's singles event on Tuesday (March 12).
The professional Zii Jia suffered a 21-19, 16-21, 12-21 defeat to Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long at the Birmingham Arena.
Zii Jia was not the only big name out in the cold as Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik were also eliminated in the opening round after going down 16-21, 21-16, 18-21 to Denmark’s Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard.
Aaron’s right hand injury was evident throughout the match and it affected the former champions' overall performance.
Zii Jia too had aimed for a better showing after losing in the quarter-finals at the Orleans Masters due to a lingering foot injury but the player, who once tasted glory as the 2021 edition, found Angus too hot to handle.
Zii Jia appeared uncomfortable on court, possibly due to a lingering foot injury, and found it hard to keep up with Angus’ pace in the final game.
Naturally, he was disappointed.
"(Angus) Ka Long played a great game today. He had a lot of variety in his shots and executed them freely. I have to give him credit for his performance," said Zii Jia in a post match interview with Badminton World Federation.
"Sometimes, you just have to accept the result. I have good memories here, but as I said, life goes on, and we have to keep looking forward."
However, he will have a chance to redeem himself when he faces Angus again in the first round of the Swiss Open next week.
"I've not decided whether I will play next week but I will monitor my condition."
