Can Zii Jia Avenge First-Round Exit at All-England?

The prestigious All-England Open Badminton Championships, one of the oldest and most revered tournaments in the sport, is set to commence in Birmingham today. Among the highly anticipated clashes is the first-round encounter between Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia and Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in the men’s singles event.

Both players are determined to make amends after suffering disappointing first-round exits at last week’s French Open in Paris. The world No. 10 Zii Jia fell to the unheralded Magnus Johannesen of Denmark, while Naraoka, ranked No. 6 globally, was ousted by Chico Aura of Indonesia.

The head-to-head record between Zii Jia and Naraoka heavily favors the Japanese shuttler, who has emerged victorious in three out of their four meetings over the past year. Naraoka’s victories came at the Malaysia Open, China Open, and Indian Open, with Zii Jia’s sole win against the Japanese star coming at last year’s All-England in the quarter-finals.

Despite the unfavorable record, Zii Jia will be drawing confidence from his impressive performances at the All-England in recent years. He won the coveted title in 2021 and reached the semi-finals in 2020 and 2022, showcasing his affinity for the prestigious event.

Should Zii Jia manage to overcome Naraoka in the opening round, he will face another formidable challenge in the form of either former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore or Angus Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong, both of whom are highly skilled opponents.

Meanwhile, the world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark will also be seeking redemption after his unexpected second-round exit at the French Open. The Danish superstar, who fell to Wang Tzu-wei of Taiwan last week, will open his All-England campaign against K. Srikanth of India.

Zii Jia was the last Malaysian to claim the coveted All-England title in the men’s singles event, while the nation’s men’s doubles triumph came in 2007 when Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong emerged victorious. Malaysia has yet to taste success in the women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles events at the prestigious tournament.

As the action unfolds in Birmingham, all eyes will be on Zii Jia and Naraoka as they battle to overcome their recent setbacks and stake their claim in the prestigious All-England Open Badminton Championships.