KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Zii Jia, who suffered an early-round defeat at the Vietnam Open last month, responded by reaching the Arctic Open main draw on Tuesday.

The world No. 56 showed urgency and a strong attack to beat Finland's world No. 46 Kalle Koljonen 21-12, 21-15 in 33 minutes.

At the Vietnam Open, Zii Jia fell to Taiwan's world No. 90 Wu Zhe Ying in the second round in Ho Chi Minh City after receiving a first round bye.

While Zii Jia faltered, compatriot Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, ranked world No. 105, went on to win the Vietnam Open.

Former All England champion Zii Jia won the Arctic Open in 2023, and he will be hoping to rediscover some of that magic in Finland this week.