Kumamoto Masters Japan 2024: Jonatan Christie outlasts Lee Zii Jia in quarter-final thriller
The Indonesian fourth seed comes back from a game down to edge the Paris 2024 bronze medallist and reach the semi-finals in Japan.
Badminton
Jonatan Christie dug deep to beat Lee Zii Jia in three games to advance to the semi-finals of the BWF Kumamoto Masters Japan 2024 on Friday (15 November).
The badminton titans were 5-5 lifetime in head-to-heads going into the match and it looked like Lee's day to shine after Christie dropped the first game. But the Indonesian clawed back magnificently to win 12-21, 21-18, 21-18 over 64 minutes at Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Lee came out firing in the opening set, winning six straight points from 5-5 to take control and never looked back.
The Malaysian kept going in the second game, appearing to be on his way to the semis after taking a 12-7 lead.
But Christie began chipping away at Lee’s advantage, evening the score at 18 before winning the last three points of the set.
The deciding game was as close as it gets, with neither leading by more than three points. After trading point for point, sweat for sweat, Christie only came out slightly ahead in the end, again winning the last three points from 18-all to top the match.
The fourth seed will face Lee's compatriot Leong Jun Hao in the final four after he defeated home favourite Naraoka Kodai 21-17, 9-21, 21-16.
Elsewhere in the men's competition, two-time reigning Olympic gold medallist Viktor Axelsen continued his red-hot form with a 21-18, 16-21, 21-18 victory over in-form Frenchman Christo Popov.
Next up for the top seed from Denmark is seventh seed Li Shi Feng of the People's Republic of China who ousted Chinese Taipei's Chi Yu Jen 19-21, 21-11, 21-7.
It was a good day for Indonesia with women's singles fifth seed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung also progressing thanks to a 21-16, 21-18 win over Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt.
Japanese second seed Yamaguchi Akane needed three sets to defeat her compatriot Ohori Aya, 18-21, 21-15, 21-13.