PETALING JAYA: Independent men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has battled past Singapore’s Jason Teh in the first round of the Hylo Open on Wednesday (Oct 28).
Zii Jia started strongly at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrucken but was dragged into a decider after struggling to maintain his momentum in the second game.
The Kedah-born shuttler held his nerve to seal a 21-16, 19-21, 21-17 victory in 59 minutes and book his place in the second round.
A tougher test awaits Zii Jia next as he takes on Japan’s world championships silver medalist Kodai Naraoka for a place in the quarter-finals.
Also through to the second round were mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing, who defeated Dutch pair Joep Strooper-Sterre Bang 21-13, 21-13.
Pang Ron-Pei Jing will next face either Innocenzo Santoro-Chequeda De Boulet or Taiwan’s fourth seeds Yang Po-hsuan-Hu Ling-fang.
