SPORTS
Zii Jia easily clears first round
National badminton men's singles ace Lee Zii Jia convincingly beat Brice Leverdez of France in the first round of the World Championships in Tokyo today. - BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR: National badminton men's singles ace Lee Zii Jia convincingly beat Brice Leverdez of France in the first round of the World Championships in Tokyo today.
The world number five gave a spirited display to beat the French player 21-9, 21-13 in 39 minutes at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Zii Jia, who is seeded fifth, will face Portugal's Bernardo Atilano in the second round tomorrow.
Bernardo received a walkover from Germany's Max Weisskirchen today.
Malaysia's professional women's doubles pair Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien also cleared their first hurdle after defeating Germany's Linda Efler-Isabel Lohau 21-17, 21-15 in 45 minutes.
World number 26 Vivian-Chiew Sien are supposed to face Rachel Honderich-Kristen Tsai in the second round tomorrow but the Canadians have pulled out of the championships.
The Malaysians' third-round opponents will be either third seeds Lee So Hee-Shing Seung Chan of South Korea or India's Pooja Dandu-Sanjana Santosh.
Meanwhile, national mixed doubles pair Cheng Tan Jie-Peck Yen Wei also moved into the next round after an easy 21-8, 19-2 (rtd) win over Americans Mathew Fogarty-Isabel Zhong.
World number 28 Tan Jie-Yen Wei are set to face fourth seeds Wang Yi Lyu-Huang Dong Ping of China in the second round.
-- BERNAMA
The world number five gave a spirited display to beat the French player 21-9, 21-13 in 39 minutes at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Zii Jia, who is seeded fifth, will face Portugal's Bernardo Atilano in the second round tomorrow.
Bernardo received a walkover from Germany's Max Weisskirchen today.
Malaysia's professional women's doubles pair Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien also cleared their first hurdle after defeating Germany's Linda Efler-Isabel Lohau 21-17, 21-15 in 45 minutes.
World number 26 Vivian-Chiew Sien are supposed to face Rachel Honderich-Kristen Tsai in the second round tomorrow but the Canadians have pulled out of the championships.
The Malaysians' third-round opponents will be either third seeds Lee So Hee-Shing Seung Chan of South Korea or India's Pooja Dandu-Sanjana Santosh.
Meanwhile, national mixed doubles pair Cheng Tan Jie-Peck Yen Wei also moved into the next round after an easy 21-8, 19-2 (rtd) win over Americans Mathew Fogarty-Isabel Zhong.
World number 28 Tan Jie-Yen Wei are set to face fourth seeds Wang Yi Lyu-Huang Dong Ping of China in the second round.
-- BERNAMA