[UPDATED] Australian Open: Zii Jia fails to qualify for World Tour Finals

KUALA LUMPUR – World no. 2 shuttler Lee Zii Jia won’t be making an appearance at the BWF World Tour Finals after he lost to China’s Lu Guang Zu 20-22, 21-15, 21-16 at the Australian Open today. 

In a match that went on for an hour and 10 minutes, Zii Jia took the first set in 23 minutes, but Lu, ranked 19th, and who Zii Jia has beaten twice in the past, came back stronger in the final sets to see him through to the next round. 

Zii Jia had to perform well at the tournament, as it was his last chance to qualify for the World Tour Finals in Bangkok, Thailand from December 7 to 11.

In the first round of the tournament, Zii Jia made quick work of Australia’s Rio Agustino after he won the match 21-9, 21-11 in 25 minutes. 

However, the loss against Lu today brings an end to Zii Jia’s campaign at the Super 300 event, and sees him missing the World Tour Finals which has been brought forward a week and relocated from Guangzhou, China to Bangkok, Thailand.

Meanwhile, World Tour Finals qualifiers Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi defeated Ricky Cheng-Jack Wang from Australia 21-6, 21-18 to see them enter the quarter-finals of the competition. 

Ng Tze Yong made it into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after he won against South Korea’s Heo Kwang Hee 21-16, 19-21, 21-5, while Goh Jin Wei joins him in the quarter-finals after she took down Anwesha Gowda from India 21-9, 21-11 earlier today. 

The tournament came to an end for Soong Joo Ven, as he lost to Indonesia’s Ikhsan Leonardo Imanuel Rumbay 15-21, 21-18, 21-12. 

At the World Tour Finals, national players who have qualified are men’s doubles world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi; Commonwealth Games women’s doubles gold medallists Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah and Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien; and mixed doubles pairs Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai. – The Vibes, November 17, 2022