Malaysia take 1-0 lead against Japan in Thomas Cup quarter-finals
Lee Zii Jia gave Malaysia a dream start in the quarter-finals clash against Japan when he overwhelmed Kenta Nishimoto 21-13, 21-3. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia took an early 1-0 lead against Japan in the Thomas Cup quarter-finals in Chengdu, China, when national men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia trounced Kenta Nishimoto 21-13, 21-3 in their opening match, Bernama reported.
Four matches remain to be played in the quarter-finals tie at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Centre in Chengdu.
Malaysia have defeated Japan four times and lost three times in their previous encounters.
If Malaysia win today, they will face the winners of the tie between top seeds China and India.
China also took an early 1-0 lead against their Indian opponents this evening.
Second seeds Denmark appear to have an easy path to the semi-finals as they face Taiwan, while the other quarter-final battle will be between Indonesia and South Korea.