Korea Open 2023: How to watch Lee Zii Jia live in BWF Super 500 action in Yeosu
You can watch Lee Zii Jia at the BWF World Tour Super 500 event in Yeosu, Republic of Korea, on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com in selected territories. Here are the full details.
Badminton
Lee Zii Jia is back from his badminton break – and will get his season restarted this week as he heads to the BWF World Tour Super 500 event Korea Open 2023, taking place in Yeosu, Republic of Korea, from 18–23 July. That tournament is available to stream live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com (territorial restrictions may apply).
Now ranked world number 17 after taking a month away from competition, the Malaysian returns to court for his first tournament under new coach Wong Tat Meng.
Despite that, Lee is the eighth seed in Yeosu, which means he faces an intriguing opening men's singles clash: against Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong China, whose previous coach at the Hong Kong Badminton Association was – you guessed it – Wong Tat Meng.
Former world no. 2 Lee recently told Malaysian media that choosing Wong to replace his old coach Indra Wijaya was a no-brainer for him.
"He's a very experienced coach, so I'm hoping we can have a special chemistry. […] We have seen the results he produced in South Korea and most recently Hong Kong. Another reason is I wanted a local coach. I wish to realise this Olympic dream together with Malaysians."
Wong, who officially took over as Lee's coach on 3 July, has also has targeted the Japan Open (25–30 July) and Australian Open (1–6 August) for Lee to show himself before deciding on a dedicated training programme for his new charge.
Lee has also been named in a strong Malaysian badminton squad for the 2022 Asian Games, which take place in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China, from 23 September 2023.
The 25-year-old will participate in both the men's singles and men's team events in Hangzhou.
Lee Zii Jia's potential route through the Korea Open 2023
Lee's opening hurdle, Ng, is no easy pushover. In fact, the Hong Kong China athlete holds a career 3–1 record against Lee, winning each of their last three meetings including at this year's Asian Championships and Indonesia Masters.
Survive that test, and a tasty clash against teammate Ng Tze Yong potentially awaits in the last 16. The Malaysian Ng is now only six places below Lee in the world rankings and could himself be eyeing the country's number 1 position.
Zii Jia is in the same quarter as fourth seed Loh Kean Yew, meaning Singapore's 2021 world champion – himself having quite the inconsistent season – could lie in wait in the quarter-finals. Lee does hold a 5–2 advantage over Loh in career meetings, and should the pair find themselves meeting, Lee will no doubt fancy his chances.
As Lee is in the top half of the draw, top seed Naraoka Kodai of Japan is a potential semi-final opponent, with China's Shi Yuqi and Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien-chen in the other half of the draw possibly awaiting in any final.
Korea Open 2023: How to watch on TV and livestream online
You can watch the Korea Open 2023 on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com (territorial restrictions may apply).
It will also be available on the BWF TV YouTube channel and on various domestic television broadcasters. Check local listings for details.
For fans in Malaysia, Yeosu is an hour ahead of Malaysian time.
If you are unable to find a screen to watch the matches, look out for Olympics.com's reports on the results and best of the action from the event.