SHUTTLER Lee Zii Jia believes he can take on the best following his victory over reigning Olympic champion Chen Long in the second round of the Indonesia Open in Jakarta on Thursday.
The World No 16, who defeated the China ace 21-16, 19-21, 22-20, however, could not extend his run in the tournament after losing 21-16, 21-11 to Denmark’s Anders Antonsen in Friday’s quarter-final.
The 21-year-old said: “I spent 88 minutes on the court against Chen Long, and it was very tiring.
“I could not recover in time for the quarter-finals.
“It shows that I need to work on my strength and fitness. Although I lost in the last eight, I am happy with my performance here.
“The win over Chen Long is huge, and I hope this will give me more confidence when I play against top players.
“I hope to continue my momentum and beat higher-ranked shuttlers in next week’s Japan Open,” said Zii Jia in Jakarta yesterday.
Zii Jia has been drawn against China’s Shi Yuqi in the opening round of the Japan Open, which starts on Tuesday, but the World No 2 is expected to withdraw after suffering an ankle injury in his first-round match against Antonsen in Jakarta.
If Shi Yuqi withdraws, the Malaysian will face a player on the standby list in the first round in Tokyo.