KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 – After six defeats to world No 1 and two time world champion, Malaysia’s top shuttler Lee Zii Jia packed off Japan’s Kento Momota in straight games 21-16, 21-19 to reach the men’s singles semi-finals in the Super 1000 All-England Championships in Birmingham on Friday.
The ”execution” of the Japanese in 55 minutes on Court 1 at Utilita Arena was not only sweet for the 23 years old Malaysian who had come in for a lot of flak for his disappointing outing in the Yonex Thailand Open, the Toyota Thailand Open and World Tour Finals in Bangkok earlier this year but he showed what he has in his game to take his challengers.
Datuk Tey Seu Bok who is Zii Jia’s coach in Birmingham, was one happy man with the player’s win for a place in the semifinals – a feat he achieved last year in the same prestigious tournament. Zii will face Dutchman, Mark Caljouw for a place in Sunday’s final.
Caljouw ousted India’s hope and former Asian Junior champion Lakshya Sen in three games – 21-17, 16-21, 21-17 – also in a 55-minute encounter.
”Zii Jia played well in the match today. He had nothing to lose and his fighting spirit was exemplary,” said Seu Bok from Birmingham after the match.
This is Zii Jia’s second semi-final in two weeks after reaching the last four in the Yonex Swiss Open which was a Super 300 tournament.
He lost to Thailand’s three-time Junior World champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-18, 21-10.
In the match against Momota, the Malaysian ranked No 10 showed hunger and was aggressive in his game which rattled the Japanese.Momota is making a comeback to competitive badminton after a year. He was badly injured after competing in the Malaysian Masters when the van he was traveling on the way to the airport was involved in an accident, killing the driver.
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