Malaysia’s professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia suffered another disappointing exit after going down to India’s K. Srikanth in the second round of the US Open on Friday.
The match lasted just 28 minutes, with the former All England finalist falling in straight games, 14-21, 13-21, despite putting up a spirited fight.
Zii Jia entered the tournament hoping to build on his recent progress after a string of first-round exits. However, he was unable to capitalise against Srikanth, who has also struggled for consistency in recent months.
The defeat continues a difficult run for the world No. 65, who had previously been eliminated in the opening round of the Swiss Open, Orleans Masters, Thailand Open, Australian Open and Macau Open. His last quarter-final appearance came at the Malaysia Masters.
The latest setback raises further concerns over the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist’s efforts to regain his best form and collect valuable world ranking points. A return to the world’s top 30 will be crucial ahead of the qualification period for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, which begins next year.
Meanwhile, another Malaysian men’s singles representative, Cheam June Wei, also bowed out after losing 15-21, 19-21 to Israel’s Misha Zilberman in the Round of 16.
