SRIKANTH AWAITS ZII JIA IN SECOND ROUND OF ORLEANS MASTERS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) -- National men's singles professional shuttler Lee Zii Jia had to fight back from a game down to get past Taiwan's Chi Yu Jen 17-21, 21-17, 21-17 in the opening round of the Orleans Masters at the Palais des Sports today.

The 2024 Paris Olympic bronze medallist, making his first appearance this year, will face Srikanth Kidambi for a place in the last eight after the Indian shuttler defeated Koo Takahashi 21-19, 21-14 in their first-round clash.

National mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin also sailed into the next round after defeating Germany's Jonas Ralfy Jansen-Thuc Phuong Nguyen 21-15, 21-17 today.

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The sixth-seeded Malaysians will face either Taiwan's Lu Ming Che-Hung En Tzu or Canada's Ty Alexander Lindeman-Josephine Wu in the next round.

Earlier today, another national mixed doubles pair, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei also advanced to the second round with a straightforward 21-10, 21-15 win over India's Ashith Surya-Amrutha Pramutesh.

In the second round, Tang Jie-Ee Wei will face Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja after the Indonesians disposed of South Koreans Jeung Na Eun-Ki Dong Ju 17-21, 22-20 21-14.

However, it was the end of the road for two men's doubles pairs when Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Man Wei Chong Tee Kai Wun crashed out on the opening day of the tournament.

Aaron-Wooi Yik went down 18-21, 8-21 to China's Sun Wen Jun-Zhu Yi Jun while Wei Chong-Kai Wun capitulated 16-21,14-21 to South Korea’s Kim Won Ho-Seo Sung Ja.

-- BERNAMA