TOKYO − National badminton player, Lee Zii Jia, has secured himself a match in Round 16 against Chen Long of China after defeating Brice Leverdez of France 21-17, 21-5 in their group match at the Mushashino Forest Sports Plaza today.
The last time both players met was at the All-England quarterfinal match in 2020, where the Kedah-born athlete picked up a surprise win.
Zii Jia, after his win against Leverdez, said that he is looking forward to playing Chen Long in the next round as he is more than prepared to take on the Chinese player.
"He (Chen Long) has not played in any competition for over a year. Our head-to-head record is level at 2-2, so it is going to be an interesting match tomorrow," he said in an interview on television from Tokyo.
Meanwhile, former national doubles player, Tan Boon Heong, felt that Zii Jia was in full force today and played a very good game.
"I am happy for Zii Jia and I hope he can go all the way to the final. As this could be Chen Long’s last chance at the Olympics, there will be more pressure on him than on Zii Jia,” said Boon Heong. He added that “although Zii Jia has a good chance to qualify (for the next round), he would need to be well prepared as this is going to be a tough match".
On the other hand, Chen Long looked strong in his win over Spain’s Pablo Abian as the 32-year-old breezed to a straight-set victory of 21-11, 21-10 in 45 minutes. − The Vibes, July 28, 2021
