Badminton Asia Championships 2024: Lee Zii Jia falls to Jonatan Christie in quarter-finals showdown
Lee Zii Jia's campaign at the Asia Championships 2024 came to a halt on Friday (12 April), as third seed Jonatan Christie proved to be too strong in the quarter-finals.
Malaysia's badminton ace, Lee, held a 5-4 head-to-head advantage before the match, but it soon became apparent that the Indonesian had the upper hand in Ningbo.
Christie began strongly, swiftly securing a five-point lead at the mid-game interval (11-6), which he extended after the break to clinch the first game 21-11.
In the second game, Christie's dominance continued, leading to an easy 21-6 victory.
Next up for Lee is the Thomas Cup Finals, where he headlines the Malaysian squad in Chengdu.
In the semi-finals, Christie will now face world No. 2 Shi Yuqi, who beat 2023 men's singles champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn 22-20, 21-13.
Li Shifeng and Naraoka Kodai will face off in the other men's singles semi-final.
In women's singles, He Bingjiao of the People's Republic of China caused an upset by defeating top seed An Seyoung 21-17, 21-18 to book a spot in the last four.
Her next opponent will be compatriot Wang Zhi Yi, who saw off Japan's Ohori Aya 15-21, 21-12, 21-11.
Meanwhile, two shuttlers from the People's Republic of China are set to face off in the other women's singles semi-final.
Han Yue eliminated All England runner-up Yamaguchi Akane 21-13, 21-16, while Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Chen Yufei dismissed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 21-16, 21-19.
All semi-final matches are scheduled for Saturday (13 April).
