PETALING JAYA: National No 1 Lee Zii Jia bowed out of the Olympics after being knocked out in the last 16 by defending champion Chen Long in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games today.
Zii Jia faced his toughest test in the competition so far and it showed as he was stretched to three games before succumbing 21-8, 19-21, 5-21 in 70 minutes.
An early injury also played its part as he had to receive treatment – once during the first game, and then again before the start of the second – after hurting his right hand early in the match.
The reigning All England champion has now been beaten thrice by Chen Long, who holds a 3-2 lead in their head-to-head encounters.
“I think I was good in the opening game. Things were going well. There was a strategy change at Chen’s end. He was more patient and I think that worked for him. He didn’t make any mistakes,” Zii Jia told the Badminton World Federation.
“In the second game I was making a lot of mistakes, so I think there’s a still a long journey for me.”