KUALA LUMPUR: National professional men’s singles ace Lee Zii Jia’s quest for a long-awaited world tour title remains unfulfilled after he was eliminated in the semi-finals of the Canada Open 2026 in Markham Ontario, today.
In a grueling 70-minute match at Markham Pan Am Centre, Zii Jia struggled to contain the aggression of Japan’s Riki Takei, dropping the opening set 13-21.
The Malaysian star staged a gritty comeback to snatch the second set 21-18, forcing a nail-biting decider before he ultimately ran out of steam in the final stages of the match, losing 18-21.
This defeat marks Zii Jia’s first-ever loss to the Japanese shuttler, a bitter reversal of fortune after the Malaysian had successfully defeated Takei just last month at the Australian Open 2026.
Despite being a Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, the independent player’s search for a title continues as his last tournament crown champion was at the Australian Open 2024.
Following the semi-final heartbreak, Zii Jia’s official management team, TeamLZJ, shared an optimistic outlook on social media, stating that there was “much positive build up for the next round of tournaments” as he progresses through the season.
