PETALING JAYA: Professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia could not help feeling overwhelmed with joy after beating world No. 2 Christo Popov to secure a place in the Arctic Open semi-finals on Friday.
The 28-year-old said the much needed win felt like a breakthrough after years of injuries and setbacks.
“To be honest, I didn’t think that I could beat him in straight games,” said Zii Jia, who last played the Frenchman two years ago at the same tournament.
“He has improved a lot over these two years and for me, I was starting from zero again.
“It definitely feels like a breakthrough.”
Zii Jia, now ranked world No. 56 after struggling for form in recent months, entered the match as the underdog.
But the 2021 All England champion, who once rose to world No. 2 in 2022, rolled back the years to prevail 21-11, 21-16 in just 38 minutes at the Energia Arena in Vantaa.
The victory also marked his first Super 500 semi-final appearance since 2024.
“It was a tough match and honestly, I don’t think Popov gave his best today but I gave everything.
“After a lot of failures this year and many first-round exits, I kept trying. And now I finally did it,” added Zii Jia, who won the Arctic Open in 2023.
He will now look to carry his winning form into the semi-finals against world No. 6 Anders Antonsen of Denmark.
Although the two share a close friendship off court, Zii Jia holds the upper hand, having won their last three encounters – most recently at the 2024 World Tour Finals.
Meanwhile, Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King ensured Malaysia will also be represented in the men’s doubles semi-finals after defeating Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul.
The newly formed pair continued their exceptional form, dispatching their world No. 34 opponents 21-13, 21-19 in just 38 minutes during their quarter-final clash.
They will look to maintain their perfect record when they face Denmark’s world No. 32 pair, Christian Faust Kjaer-Rasmus Kjaer, in the semi-finals.
