KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 – It was a disastrous day for Malaysians when Lee Zii Jia and company flopped in the semi-finals in the season ending USD1.5 million BWF World Tour Finals in Bali, Indonesia on Saturday.
Zii Jia was the biggest disappointment when he was snuffed out of the men’s singles final in straight games by Thailand’s 20-year-old Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-18, 21-18 in 44 minutes. It was a big, big disappointment from the top national shuttler.
What hurts more is that Zii Jia had beaten the Thai in the opening Group B match 21-15, 21-16 but the reigning All_England champion crumbled when it mattered most against the three-time world junior champion.
Kunlavut went into the match as the BWF Most Promising Player and will play reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in Sundays final. The lanky Dane was too strong for India’s Lakshya Sen, winning 21-13, 21-11.
However, Kunlavut was the story of the day at the Mangupura Hall 1 at the Bali Convention Centre in Denpasar.
”I’m mentally and physically prepared this time around after my defeat in the group match. I’m more confident in the revenge match,” said Kunlavut who will go down in history as the first Thai player to reach the men’s singles in the season ender.
It was also disappointment for professionals Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi in the men’s doubles semi-finals. The Malaysians went out wit a 18-21, 15-21 defeat to Japans Takuro oki-Yuo Kobayashi in 39 minutes.
In the mixed doubles Malaysian professionals Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying did no better – going out in 8-21, 18-21 to Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai in a 42-minute encounter.India’s reigning world champion P.V. Sindhu will play Korean teen sensation An Seyoung in the womens singles final.
Sindhu came through a three-game 70-minute thriller against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi to prevail 21-15, 15-21, 21-19. An Seyoung defeated Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong 25-23, 21-17 in the other semi-final.
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