PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia’s comeback bid received a boost at the Arctic Open when he defeated a much younger and higher-ranked Chinese player in straight games in the opening round.
Zii Jia, 28, who had little trouble clearing the qualifying round yesterday, defeated China’s 40th ranked Dong Tian Yao 21-18, 21-14 in 42 minutes at the Energia Areena in Vantaa, Finland.
The victory over the 23-year-old Chinese at the World Tour Super 500 event is a major boost as the former world No 2 shuttler has faced a long and difficult journey following a lengthy injury layoff.
