BWF India Open 2024: Lee Zii Jia, Jonatan Christie set up second round meeting in New Delhi
The pair are looking to bounce back from disappointing first-round exits last week in Malaysia, and have set up a tasty second-round clash.
Badminton
Out in the first round last week, through to the second round this week.
Both Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia and Indonesia's Jonatan Christie rebounded from rough starts to their 2024 badminton season by winning their opening tests at the BWF India Open on Wednesday (17 January).
Lee took 46 minutes to see off Canadian world number 24 Brian Yang 21-17, 21-19, although to say he was in control of the match at any point would be an overstatement.
Yang led the Malaysian 17-13 in the opening game before Lee rattled off the last eight points consecutively to snatch the lead in what had been a tricky first game.
The Canadian put up similarly stiff resistance in the second game, with Lee needing four match points before he finally converted.
Christie, meanwhile, had a rather more one-sided victory.
The Indonesian defeated Hong Kong China's Angus Ng 21-13, 21-7, with Ng not providing much of an obstacle as Christie ran rampant.
It means Lee and Christie, the fifth seed, will now play each other in the second round.
Meanwhile, women's first and third seeds An Se-young and Yamaguchi Akane are respectively also through to the last 16 in New Delhi.
An needed three games to beat Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon 16-21, 21-13, 21-16, while Yamaguchi saw off Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark 26-24, 21-13.