Lee Zii Jia's Arctic Open Run Fuels Top 50 Comeback Bid
Lee Zii Jia reached the Arctic Open semi-finals after beating world No. 2 Christo Popov, boosting his bid to return to the top 50.
From the Qualifiers to the Semi-Finals
Lee Zii Jia started the Arctic Open as the world No. 56 and had to play in the qualifying round. He missed the tournament last year because of injury. This time, he beat Finland’s Kalle Koljonen to reach the main draw.
He then beat China’s Dong Tian Yao 21-18, 21-14 in the first round. It was sweet revenge, as Dong had beaten him at the Orleans Masters earlier this year. In the second round, Zii Jia beat Taiwan’s Su Li Yang 21-17, 21-12 to reach the quarter-finals.
A Big Win Over World No. 2
In the quarter-finals, Zii Jia faced France’s Christo Popov, the world No. 2 and second seed. Many people expected Popov to win, but Zii Jia played much better. He won 21-11, 21-16 in only 38 minutes. He has now beaten Popov in all three of their matches.
Semi-Final Loss to Antonsen
Zii Jia’s run ended in the semi-finals against Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, the fourth seed. Antonsen won the first game 21-11. Zii Jia fought back to take the second game 21-15, but Antonsen won the third game 21-16 to reach the final.
The Arctic Open is a special event for Zii Jia. He won the title here in 2023, and he also won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, injuries and poor form have made the last two years very hard for him. Last month, he lost in the second round of the Vietnam Open to a player ranked 90th in the world.
Zii Jia said he did not want to talk about winning titles yet. His main goal is to get his confidence back one match at a time. The points from this semi-final finish will help him climb the world rankings as he works to return to the top 50. His next event is the Denmark Open in Odense.