National men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia showed encouraging signs of recovery after breaking his first-round losing streak at the US Open World Tour Super 300 tournament in California on Thursday morning.
The world No. 63 defeated Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Dang, who is ranked slightly higher, in straight sets 21-15, 21-17 at California State University in Fullerton.
Zii Jia, who had suffered five consecutive first-round exits this season, including his last four tournaments, displayed composure throughout the 40-minute match despite facing an aggressive challenge from his opponent.
The victory is seen as a much-needed boost for the former world No. 2, whose recent struggles have been linked to a prolonged injury setback that affected his form following earlier career highs, including an All England Open title in 2021 and an Olympic bronze medal.
With this win, Zii Jia moves into the second round where he will face experienced Indian shuttler Srikanth Kidambi in what is expected to be a tougher test.
Although the US Open is not among the most prestigious events on the BWF calendar, the win could provide a timely confidence lift for the Malaysian shuttler as he seeks to rebuild momentum.
Meanwhile, compatriot Cheam June Wei also advanced to the second round after a convincing 21-8, 21-18 win over Taiwan’s Ting Yen Chen in just 32 minutes.
June Wei will next face Israel’s Misha Zilberman in the following round.
