Malaysian professional shuttler Lee Zii Jia suffered a disappointing early exit from the Kumamoto Masters after failing to secure a place in the main draw.
The former All England champion was beaten 15-21, 10-21 by Japan’s Minoru Koga in a qualifying match at Kumamoto Gymnasium, Japan, on Tuesday.
The match lasted just 32 minutes, with Koga dominating to book his place in the main competition.
The defeat also dealt a blow to Zii Jia’s bid to collect valuable ranking points as he looks to break into the Badminton World Federation (BWF) world’s top 32.
For Koga, the victory offered some revenge after he previously lost to the Malaysian, currently ranked 40th in the world, during the qualifying rounds of the Swiss Open in March.
Zii Jia’s exit came as a setback, particularly after he showed encouraging form last month by reaching the semi-finals of the Arctic Open.
However, the former world No. 2 will have another opportunity to bounce back at the Syed Modi International in Lucknow, India, scheduled to take place from November 24 to 29.
Zii Jia has now gone more than two years without a BWF World Tour title, with his last triumph coming at the Australian Open in June 2024.
