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Lee Zii Jia is set to defend his Arctic Open title, but the men’s singles player faces a challenging path in the tournament starting today.
After winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, Zii Jia finds himself in a tough section of the draw. His competition includes world No. 3 Anders Antonsen from Denmark, world No. 9 Anthony Ginting from Indonesia, and world No. 10 Chou Tien-chen from Taiwan.
In the opening round, Zii Jia will face world No. 27 Christo Popov from France. Although a tough opponent, Zii Jia has beaten him once before at the 2022 German Open, giving him a slight advantage.
If Zii Jia wins the first match, his likely second-round opponent will be China’s rising star, world No. 22 Lei Lanxi. He could then meet Anthony Ginting, Lu Guangzu, or Koki Watanabe in the quarterfinals.
Last year, Zii Jia won the Arctic Open by defeating fellow Malaysian Ng Tze Yong. Another Malaysian, Leong Jun Hao, will begin his campaign today against Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu. Jun Hao is hoping for a better outcome after a tight three-game loss to Cheuk Yiu in the Hong Kong Open last month, where he led in the deciding game but couldn’t seal the victory.
In men’s doubles, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik return after Wooi Yik recovered from a toe injury that kept them out since their bronze win in Paris. They will face China’s world No. 21 pair Chen Boyang and Liu Yi in the first round.
Other Malaysian men’s doubles teams participating include Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, and Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi.
In the women’s doubles, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, who recently won the Hong Kong Open, will be the only Malaysian representatives.
