BWF Australian Badminton Open 2026: Lee Zii Jia made to work by Japanese duo in qualifying for main draw
The Paris 2024 bronze medallist is forced to produce a pair of hard-fought wins versus Japan's Ogawa Shogo and Takei Riki to reach the main draw in Sydney. Lee will face Chinese Taipei's Chia-hao in the first round.
Lee Zii Jia was forced to dig deep to reach the main draw of the Australian Badminton Open 2026, needing to work hard to dismiss a pair of Japanese shuttlers in qualification on Tuesday (9 June).
In Sydney, the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist needed 52 minutes to win his first qualifier against Ogawa Shogo 24-22, 22-20 before requiring more than an hour to get past Takei Riki in three, 15-21, 21-17, 21-16.
The Malaysian star got it done the hard way, facing two Japanese opponents he was facing for the first time.
Against Ogawa, it took Lee five game points to win the first set. In the second frame, he trailed 20-17 and had to save three game points before escaping with the match.
Lee was perilously close to losing to Takei, who comfortably won the opening game. The second was even 16-16 and only then did Lee manage to turn it up a notch. It wasn’t until the last set that he finally took control, jumping out to an 8-1 lead and never looking back.
In the first round of the main draw, Lee will take on Lee Chia-hao of Chinese Taipei, who he has a 3-3 head-to-head record against.
Zii Jia Lee (MAS) v Lakshya Sen (IND) - Men's Singles Bronze Medal Match | Badminton | Olympic Games Paris 2024
Zii Jia Lee (MAS) won the Men's Singles Bronze Medal against Lakshya Sen (IND), with a score of 2:1, which took place at La Chapelle Arena on 05/08/24
Sign-up for free and you will be able to receive Olympic news tailored to your interests.
