KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian badminton ace Lee Zii Jia won’t get the chance to defend his All England title after being defeated by rising Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen 13-21, 21-12, 19-21 in the semi-finals.
At the Utilita Arena in Birmingham today, world number 11 Sen brought the heat against Zii Jia, dominating majority of the first set with stellar cross-court smashes.
Seventh seed Zii Jia flipped a switch and took control of the second set, forcing the match into a final set decider.
However, in the riveting rubber set, German Open finalist Sen came from behind to book his spot in the finals of the championship.
Sen will either meet world number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark or fourth seed Taiwanese shuttler Chou Tien Chen in the finals tomorrow.
In the quarter-finals yesterday, women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan’s campaign at the championship came to an end after being defeated by Kim Hye Jeong-Jeong Na Een of South Korea in the quarter-finals 21-15, 17-21, 9-21.
Mixed doubles team Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing also exited the tournament in the quarter-finals, losing to second seed Chinese pair Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong 21-15, 21-15. – The Vibes, March 19, 2022.
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