HANGZHOU: To win against a player of Kunlavut Vitidsarn's calibre, Lee Zii Jia must exercise patience and precision.
However, judging by Kunlavut's performance against Vietnam's world No. 104 Nguyen Hai Dan in the second round of the Hangzhou Asian Games, Zii Jia should feel optimistic about his chances.
Zii Jia, 25, advanced to the men's singles third round on Tuesday after handing Timor Leste's Mourinho Gusmao de Jesus a drubbing he won't soon forget.
Following his three-game first-round thriller against Hong Kong's Angus Ng on Monday, Zii Jia wasted no time in the second round, hammering Mourinho 21-0, 21-7.
The former Asian champion is already looking forward to his encounter against Kunlavut, the reigning world champion.
"Kunlavut is the world champion this year. It is going to be a big challenge for me because my current form is not so consistent," said world No. 16 Zii Jia.
"Everyone knows he (Kunlavut) is a solid defensive player, so I need to be extremely patient when playing against him," added Zii Jia.
Kunlavut, who received a first-round bye, was dragged to a decider by Hai Dan before walking away with a 17-21, 21-18, 21-15 win.
Two-time world junior champion Goh Jin Wei also advanced to the women's singles third round with a 21-10, 21-13 victory over Vietnam's Vu Thi Anh Thu.
She will next face fifth seed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, it was the end of the road for newcomer K. Letshanaa, who bowed out after going down 21-13, 21-10 to Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan.