Malaysia Open: Zii Jia Stumbles On Return, But Rising Stars Man-Tee Shine Bright

National star Lee Zii Jia suffered a disappointing first-round exit to India’s Ayush Shetty in his return from a four-month injury layoff.

Fernando Fong

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National badminton star Lee Zii Jia has pledged to redouble his efforts after suffering a first-round defeat at the Malaysia Open 2026 on Monday (Jan 6).

The Olympic bronze medallist lost to India’s Ayush Shetty at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, marking a disappointing return to competitive action after nearly four months on the sidelines due to injury.

Lee suffered a tough defeat, losing in straight sets, 12-21 and 17-21.

All out but not enough: Lee sprawls for a shot in his first-round exit. (Pix: Fernando Fong)

Post-match, Zii Jia admitted he was only performing at 50-60% capacity, suggesting he has not fully recovered from previous injuries that significantly affected his game.

I was hoping for a better result. Thank you very much (to supporters), I will work harder.

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The defeat continues a challenging phase for Zii Jia, whose ranking has dropped to 144, reflecting the challenges he has faced in returning to elite competition.

Despite the poor run, Lee’s devoted fans remained loyal.

Many still sought his autograph after the match, demonstrating the enduring affection Malaysian supporters have for their badminton heroes even in defeat. (Pix: Fernando Fong)

Malaysia Assured of Mixed Doubles Quarter-Finalist

Meanwhile, Malaysia have secured at least one spot in the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles event.

2025 world champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei dismissed Indonesia’s Jafar Hidayatullah and Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu 21-12, 21-17 in just 39 minutes, extending their unbeaten record against the Indonesians to seven consecutive wins.

Victory pose: Chen and Toh bask in the roar of the home crowd after extending their perfect record against Indonesia’s Hidayatullah-Pasaribu to seven straight wins. Next up? An all-Malaysian battle that has the Axiata Arena faithful buzzing. (Pix: Fernando Fong)

Follwoing the win, they set up an all-Malaysian clash with compatriots Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin in the second round.

“The first match is always difficult because you need to adjust to the court and environment. Our communication was quite good today,” said Chen after the win.

Chen and Toh have won all three previous meetings against Hoo and Cheng, who advanced after beating Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje 20-22, 21-18, 21-17 in 72 minutes.

Man-Tee Thrill Home Crowd With Upset Win

In the men’s doubles, rising Malaysian pair Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun produced a commanding performance to upset Denmark’s former world number one duo Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen 21-17, 21-15, levelling their head-to-head record at 2-2.

The Malaysian pair, seeded fifth,revenged a previous loss to the Danish duo at the Singapore Open in 2024.

The spoils of victory: Man connects with fans moments after upsetting the experienced Danish duo alongside partner Tee Kai Wun. Their 21-17, 21-15 triumph was one of the day’s biggest statement. (Pix: Fernando Fong)

In other results, professional pair Jimmy Wong and Lai Pei Jing lost to the seventh-seeded Hong Kong pair of Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet, 10-21, 9-21, in the mixed doubles.

Proessional duo Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong recorded a significant comeback victory over fellow Malaysians Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi, recovering from losing the opening game to prevail 11-21, 24-22, 21-11 in a thrilling men’s doubles encounter.

National pair Ong Xin Yee and Carmen Ting bowed out in the women’s doubles against Japan’s Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara 16-21, 11-21 in 43 minutes.

Meanwhile, crowd favourite, Japan’s Chiharu Shida and her partner Arisa Igarashi lost in the first round of the Malaysia Open 2026 to a South Korean pair.

The Super 1000 tournament continues through Sunday (11 January).

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