Malaysia’s professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia endured another early exit after crashing out in the first round of the Macau Open Badminton Championships at the Macau East Asian Games Dome.
The former Asian and All England champion lost 12-21, 20-22 in straight sets to Indonesia’s rising player Prahdiska Bagas Shujiwo in a match that exposed ongoing inconsistency in his form.
Currently ranked world No. 63, Zii Jia appeared below his usual standard throughout the contest, frequently allowing his opponent to dictate rallies with aggressive attacking play.
Although he mounted a brief comeback in the second set and led 17-15, he was unable to sustain his momentum as Prahdiska closed out the match 22-20.
The defeat marks his fifth consecutive first-round exit, following earlier eliminations at the Australian Open, Thailand Open, Switzerland Open and Orleans Masters.
Elsewhere, fellow Malaysian independent shuttler Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin also bowed out early after a 19-21, 13-21 loss to Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long in 38 minutes.
Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair Bryan Goonting and Haikal Nazri were also eliminated after a 14-21, 12-21 defeat to South Korea’s Jin Yong and Lee Jong Min.
