KUALA LUMPUR: The much anticipated clash between Lee Zii Jia and Viktor Axelsen in the last 16 of the Denmark Open may not happen.
World No. 1 Axelsen had hinted that he might not be able to participate in today's match, citing injuries to his left foot and lower leg.
This revelation came as a surprise, given that the great Dane had comfortably defeated his younger compatriot, Magnus Johannesen, 21-7, 21-9 yesterday.
"I'm really not feeling great physically, so the chances that I'll play tomorrow are very slim at the moment," Axelsen told TV2 Danmark in a post-match interview.
"I have an issue with my left foot and lower leg. It felt fine before the match. Once we started playing, it wasn't good, so it's deeply frustrating.
"I'm very upset that I don't feel fit. I'll see if there's anything I can do, but it's doubtful.
"If I'm in as much pain as I was today (Wednesday), there's no chance I'll play. If it hurts as much as it does now, I can't focus on playing at all."
If the match does take place later today, it will be the ninth encounter between Zii Jia and Axelsen. Their most recent clash was at the Sudirman Cup quarter-finals in Suzhou in May. Unfortunately, Axelsen had to retire shortly after the match commenced due to a hamstring injury.
Zii Jia had claimed victory in three of their meetings, with the most notable one at the 2021 All England final.