Malaysian shuttler Lee Zii Jia is out of the India Open after a first-round loss to Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke, his second early exit this season.
KUALA LUMPUR: National professional shuttler Lee Zii Jia (pic) has crashed out of the 2026 India Open in the first round.
The 2024 Olympic bronze medallist fell to Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke in a three-game match at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex today.
Zii Jia struggled to find his rhythm, losing the first game 13-21.
He rallied to take the second game 21-18 but could not maintain momentum, losing the decider 18-21.
This marks his second first-round exit this season, following an early departure from the Malaysia Open last week.
The player is attempting a comeback after withdrawing from the 2025 China Masters first round last September due to injury.
In other matches, national men’s doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun progressed.
They beat fellow Malaysians Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub Azriyn-Tan Wee Kiong 21-16, 21-15.
They will next face French pair Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov, who defeated another Malaysian duo Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal 21-11, 21-19.
Malaysian doubles pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi were also eliminated.
They lost 15-21, 18-21 to India’s Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun.
