KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s top professional Lee Zii Jia had to dig deep into his reserves to move into the final of the 2024 Australia Open after coming from behind to overcome Taiwan’s Lee Chia Hao in a three-set semifinal encounter, today.
In the semifinal action at the Quaycentre in the Sydney Olympic Park the 2021 All England champion who looked vulnerable, lost the first game 10-21 but fought back gamely to take the second and third games 21-15, 21-10 to make the final where he will meet Kodai Naraoka of Japan.
The win today is the third from six meetings for Zii Jia over Chia Hao who beat him in the 2016 Asia Junior Badminton Championships, 2023 German Open and 2023 Hong Kong Open.
As for his opponent Naraoka who is the second seed, Zii Jia has a 2-1 head to head win record with his wins registered at the 2023 All England and 2024 All England championships.
Malaysia will also have another representation in the Australia Open final since the country’s women’s doubles pair Lai Pei Jing-Lim Chiew Sien overcame the tournament’s third seeds Yeung Nga Ting-Yeung Pui Lam from Hong Kong, 21-13, 18-21, 21-14.
In the women’s doubles final, Pei Jing-Chiew Sien will meet the tournament’s second seeds Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi from Indonesia.
Another two Malaysian pairs in the competition, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing the country’s mixed doubles pair, lost to top seeds Jiang Zhen Bang- Wei Ya Xin from China, 11-21, 11-21 while the men’s doubles pair Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal lost to He Ji Ting-Ren Xiang Yu from China, 18-21, 9-21.
