KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia stormed into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open 2024 after eliminating compatriot Soong Joo Ven in the second round today.

The third seeded Zii Jia won 21-18, 21-14 in 41 minutes in the Super 500 tournament held at Quaycentre, Sydney.

Tomorrow, the world number eight will take on seventh seed Kenta Nishimoto of Japan, who overcame Kiran George of India 22-20, 21-6.

Zii Jia will be joined by six other Malaysian representatives, including rising men’s doubles pair Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri and professional mixed doubles duo Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing.

Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal outclassed home pair Aneesh Nirmal-Emmanuel Stephen Sam 21-12, 21-8 to set up a last-eight tie against another Australian duo, Rizky Hidayat-Frengky Wijaya Putra.

Rizky-Frengky prevented an all-Malaysian affair in the next round after they came from behind to eliminate Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub Azriyn-Tan Wee Kiong 14-21, 23-21, 21-19.

Kian Meng-Pei Jing had no problem beating Adam Jeffrey-Justine Villegas of Australia 21-7, 21-7.

The fifth seeds will lock horns with Hon Jian-Go Pei Kee after the national duo triumphed over Australian pair Timotius Elbert-Maureen Clarissa Wijaya 21-14, 21-6.

Other results (Note: Malaysians unless stated)

Women’s singles:

[3] Pai Yu Po (TPE) bt K. Letshanaa 21-14, 21-18

Men’s doubles:

Wan Muhammad Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King bt Ooi Yi Hern-Steven Stallwood (AUS-ENG) 21-10, 21-9

[7] Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai bt Kanki Igawa-Ken Richardson (AUS) 21-14, 21-8

Keane Chok Ken Wei-Andy Yew Tung Kok lost to Chen Zhi Ray, Lin Yu Chieh (TPE) 9-21, 8-21

Women’s doubles:

[7] Rutaparna Panda-Swetaparna Panda (IND) lost to Lai Pei Jing-Lim Chiew Sen 5-21, 9-21

Mixed doubles:

Yap Roy King-Valeree Siow lost to [6] Reginald Lee-Ng Tsz Yau (HKG) 21-17, 19-21, 21-23

[1] Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin (CHN) bt Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin 21-17, 21-18 — Bernama