Tag: Koki Watanabe

渡边航贵

Lee Zii Jia Still in the Race for World Tour Finals Despite Setback
Men’s singles badminton player Lee Zii Jia (pictured) still has a chance to qualify for the prestigious World Tour Finals, scheduled from December 11 to 15 in Hangzhou, despite missing the Denmark Open due to an ankle injury.
Recently, Lee Zii Jia suffered a major blow when he injured his ankle during his quarterfinal loss to world No. 13 Koki Watanabe of Japan at the Arctic Open in Vantaa, Finland.
The 26-year-old player couldn’t shake off the injury and had to withdraw from the Denmark Open in Odense yesterday.
Team LZJ said in a statement, “After arriving in Odense on Sunday, we still hoped and planned for Lee Zii Jia to participate in the Denmark Open despite his ankle injury sustained in the Arctic Open quarterfinal.”
“Lee appeared on court today (yesterday), but discomfort in his ankle prevented him from performing at match-level intensity.
“After further consideration, I am deeply saddened to announce my withdrawal from the Denmark Open.”
This is a double setback for Lee Zii Jia, as he also dropped three places in the latest world rankings, from fourth to seventh.
However, the independent player still has a chance to qualify for the World Tour Finals, as he moved up one spot to fifth in the Hangzhou circuit rankings.
To qualify, Lee Zii Jia must maintain a top-eight position and hopes to regain form while competing in the Japan Masters (November 12–17) and China Masters (November 19–24).
Meanwhile, Leong Jun Hao, currently ranked No. 2 in Malaysia, fell to world No. 30 after losing to Hong Kong’s world No. 15 Lee Cheuk Yiu in the first round of the Arctic Open.
Jun Hao faces a tough task today in the first round of the Denmark Open, where he will meet world No. 3 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.
With Lee Zii Jia out, Jun Hao remains the sole Malaysian representative in the men’s singles at the Odense event.
Lee Zii Jia
October 16, 2024
Injured Lee Zii Jia Withdraws from Denmark Open
Professional badminton player Lee Zii Jia has withdrawn from the Denmark Open, which starts on Tuesday, October 15.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced that Lee, ranked fifth in the world and a finalist last year, is absent from the tournament due to an ankle injury.
His condition worsened during last week’s quarterfinal match at the Arctic Open against Japan’s Koki Watanabe.
Lee Zii Jia was set to face Japanese player Kenta Nishimoto in the first round in Odense, but with his withdrawal, eighth seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting from Indonesia has taken his place.
In the mixed doubles event, Malaysia’s Yap Roy King and Valeree Siow have also withdrawn from the competition.
Another major star missing from the World Tour 750 event is South Korea’s men’s doubles world champions Kim Min-seok and Seo Seung-jae.
Koki Watanabe
Lee Zii Jia
October 15, 2024
Lei Lanxi and Weng Hongyang Fall Early in Arctic Open
On October 9th, during the men’s singles event at the 2024 Arctic Badminton Open, Lei Lanxi, fresh off his runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open, lost 1-2 (17-21, 29-27, 16-21) to Japan’s Yushi Tanaka, exiting in the first round.
The match lasted 91 minutes, with Lei winning the second game after a closely contested 29-27 battle. Unfortunately, despite leading 15-12 in the deciding game, he allowed his opponent to mount a 9-1 run and lost the match.
In another match, Weng Hongyang, this year’s China Open champion, also exited in the first round, losing 11-21, 14-21 to Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
Now, only Li Shifeng and Lu Guangzu remain for China in the men’s singles. Li Shifeng will face Lee Cheuk Yiu in the Round of 16, holding a 3-0 head-to-head record. Meanwhile, Lu Guangzu will take on Koki Watanabe, with Lu having a 2-0 record against the Japanese player.
Weng Hong Yang
Lei Lan Xi
October 12, 2024
Lee Zii Jia Seeks Revenge in 2-Point Defeat Rematch
Lee Zii Jia will face off against Koki Watanabe in the quarterfinals for a much-anticipated rematch. In today’s round of 16 at the Arctic Badminton Super 500 tournament, world No. 14 Koki Watanabe comfortably defeated China’s Lu Guangzu 21-11, 21-13, advancing to the quarterfinals where he will meet Lee Zii Jia. This win marked Watanabe’s first victory over Lu in their three encounters. Earlier, Malaysian men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia also cruised into the quarterfinals, defeating another Japanese player, Yushi Tanaka, in straight sets.

Last month, in the China Open (Super 1000), Lee Zii Jia suffered a crushing defeat to Watanabe 15-21, 2-21, marking his second consecutive loss to the Japanese star. Now, as they meet again, will Lee Zii Jia exact revenge or will Koki Watanabe secure another victory? All eyes are on this battle.
Koki Watanabe
Lee Zii Jia
October 11, 2024
Arctic Open Title Defense a Tough Task for Lee Zii Jia in Finland
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.
Lee Zii Jia
October 9, 2024
China Open: Stars Returning to Paris Face Mixed Fortunes
On the first day of the 2024 VICTOR China Open in Changzhou, the performances of Paris 2024 men’s singles silver and bronze medalists, Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Lee Zii Jia, were strikingly different.
After winning Thailand’s first-ever badminton medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Vitidsarn took a full month off and was unsure about his performance in his first HSBC BWF World Tour match.
“I didn’t come here with the intention to win. I’m here to learn and take it step by step. So, I’m pleased to have won my first match back,” he said.
Despite a slow start, which gave him time to adjust to the fast and unpredictable conditions, the defending world champion overcame Su Li Yang in a tough three-game match with scores of 20-22, 21-14, 21-15.
“I played well today because the shuttlecock was fast and difficult to control. The pressure from the Olympics was significant, but I aim to perform my best in every match, as qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals is very important to me,” he added.
On the other hand, Lee Zii Jia expressed his frustration, stating he is still struggling with some physical issues. He lost to Japanese player Koki Watanabe with scores of 15-21, 2-21.
Lee discussed the situation with coach Huang Da Ming.
“Post-Olympics, my body has been in a strange condition. I’ve had many injuries, but I don’t know why. I seem unable to fully recover, but things are improving,” Lee said.
“When I train with a certain intensity, I feel sore all over. My elbows and knees ache, and my back has become stiff.”
“I need to resolve these issues because I must be in top condition to qualify for the World Tour Finals.”
The Malaysian player made a comeback in August at the 2024 Daihatsu Japan Open, where he lost in the first round to eventual champion Alex Lanier. He announced his withdrawal from the Korea and Hong Kong tournaments to prioritize his health.
Now, he will take similar steps, returning to Kuala Lumpur to reassess his condition and prepare for the 2024 Yonex Royal Arctic Open in Finland next month.
“My condition is not yet optimal, and I need to keep working to reach my best form.”
Kunlavut VITIDSARN
Lee Zii Jia
Alex LANIER
September 19, 2024
Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin advance to quarterfinals after one match
After two days of matches, the round of 16 has been determined for all events at the 2024 China Badminton Open. Both the men’s and women’s singles saw several upsets, with two former world No. 1 players being eliminated in the first round, and six seeded players failing to advance. The doubles events faced an awkward situation with 12 byes and four withdrawals.
In men’s singles, the former world No. 1 eliminated was Viktor Axelsen, who lost after a tough 3-game match to Chinese youngster Lei Lanxi, 19-21, 21-17, 16-21. Besides second seed Axelsen’s early exit, fourth seed Li Shifeng of China lost 17-21, 18-21 to Taiwanese veteran Chou Tien Chen, failing to make it to the round of 16. Third seed Lee Zii Jia suffered his most humiliating defeat, losing 15-21, 2-21 to Japan’s Koki Watanabe, marking the lowest score in China Open history and Lee’s personal lowest in recent years.
In women’s singles, Tai Tzu Ying was the player eliminated. She battled Denmark’s Line Christophersen in a three-game thriller but ultimately lost 14-21, 21-7, 19-21. With this first-round exit, Tai’s hopes of reaching the World Tour Finals are now in serious jeopardy.
The mixed doubles category saw a significant number of withdrawals, leading to an unusual situation. After Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin won 21-19, 21-13 against Chiu Hsiang Chieh/Lin Zhi Yun, they automatically advanced to the quarterfinals due to a lack of opponents, having only played one match. The mixed doubles event saw four first-round byes and three withdrawals, while the women’s doubles had an astonishing eight byes and one withdrawal. It’s hard to believe this is happening in a top-tier BWF World Tour 1000 event. The reason behind this is the reorganization of women’s and mixed doubles pairs by many teams.
Jiang Zhen Bang
Wei Ya Xin
Viktor Axelsen
Tai Tzu Ying
Lei Lan Xi
September 19, 2024
Koki Watanabe
Character Introduction
Kōtaka Watanabe (Japanese: わたなべこうき; January 29, 1999 ) is a Japanese male badminton player and an active member of the Japan national badminton team (Team A).
In November 2015, Watanabe Koki represented Japan at the World Junior Badminton Championships in Lima, Peru, winning third place in the men’s singles.
On December 12, 2021, at the 2021 Badminton World Championships, Japan’s Kōtaka Watanabe eliminated Nigeria’s Opeyori 2:0 in the first round.
On January 17, 2022, the Badminton Association of Japan officially announced the personnel list of the 2022 national team: Men’s Singles Team A: Kōtaka Watanabe (43rd).
In March 2023, Kōtaka Watanabe appeared in the Swiss Open Badminton Championships and won his first career Super 300 Men’s Singles title, defeating Chinese Taipei star Zhou Tiancheng 2-1 in the final.
World Ranking – Men’s Singles 14, Week 30, 2024
Olympic Points – Men’s Singles 22, 54581 points
Finals Ranking – Men’s Singles 15, 41700 points

Equipment Used
ASTROX 88D PRO; ASTROX 88D; ASTROX 88D PRO new colors; AEROBITE; SHB65Z2MEX; SHB65Z3MEX; 10520YX/20717YX (Competition model)
Major Achievements
- 2024 Canadian Open Badminton Men’s Singles Champion
- 2024 U.S. Open Badminton Men’s Singles Quarterfinals
- 2024 Asian Badminton Championships Men’s Team 3rd Runner-up
- 2023 Gwangju Badminton Masters Men’s Singles Runner-up
- 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games Badminton Men’s Team Third Place Member
- 2023 Swiss Open Badminton Men’s Singles Champion
- 2020 Thomas Cup Badminton Team 3rd Runner-up
- 2020 Asian Badminton Championships Men’s Team 3rd Runner-up
- 2019 Chinese Taipei Badminton Open Men’s Singles Quarterfinals
- 2019 Canadian Open Badminton Men’s Singles Quarterfinals
- 2019 Orleans Badminton Masters Men’s Singles Champion
- 2018 USA Badminton Challenge Men’s Singles Champion
- 2018 Russia Badminton Open Men’s Singles Runner-up
- 2016 World Junior Badminton Championships Mixed Team Third Place
- 2016 Asian Youth Badminton Championships Mixed Team Third Place
- 2015 World Junior Badminton Championships Men’s Singles Third Place
- 2015 Asian Junior Badminton Championships Mixed Team Third Place
July 30, 2024