BWF Japan Open 2024: Lee Zii Jia, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting out in first round

Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Lee Zii Jia's return to the BWF World Tour badminton circuit did not go to plan on Tuesday (20 August) as the Malaysian was eliminated in the first round of the Japan Open in Yokohama.

Facing France's Alex Lanier, Lee never truly found his footing in the match and only led a game for a single point, at 1-0 in the second, during the entire contest.

Lanier pulled away early in the first game and never looked back, leading by as many as six points and holding the upper hand even as Lee tried to chip away at his lead before closing it out 21-18.

The second was a little closer, with Lee matching Lanier at 12-12, before the Frenchman won nine of the last 10 points to close out a 21-18, 21-13 win in just 41 minutes.

With neither Viktor Axelsen nor Kunlavut Vitidsarn taking part this week, it means none of the Paris 2024 men's singles medallists will be in action for the rest of the tournament.

Also eliminated was Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, who withdrew from his match against local player Tanaka Yushi in the second game.

Ginting struggled with an ankle injury picked up shortly after the interval in the opening game and dropped it 17-21 to his Japanese opponent before conceding the match at 4-5 down in the second.

"In the second game, after a few points, the pain in my ankle increased, so I decided to withdraw," Ginting said, according to the Jakarta Globe.