Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia storms to Thailand Open 2024 victory

Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia stormed to victory over Angus Ng Ka Long in the men’s singles final of badminton’s Thai Open on Sunday to take his second title at the event in three years.

World number ten Lee took just 33 minutes to dispatch the Hong Konger 21-11, 21-10.

Next week he will head to the Malaysia Masters, where world number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark will be in the mix.

In the women’s singles, Thailand’s Supanida Katethong saw off tournament top seed Han Yue of China 21-16, 25-23 to delight the home crowd in Bangkok.

The win for the world number 16 came off the back of a three-game semifinal where she knocked out China’s Wang Zhi Yi, who was seeded second.

There was a home win in the women’s doubles too as Thailand’s Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai beat Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi 21-14, 21-14.

Also read | Satwik-Chirag pair clinches Thailand Open 2024 

In the men’s doubles Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty of India beat China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi 21-15, 21-15 in 36 minutes.

It was the second World Tour title for the pair this year after they won the French Open in March.

Last year they made history for India with their country’s first ever badminton gold at the Asian Games.

“We are hoping that this victory will start another winning run for us,” Rankireddy said after the win.

In the last tussle of the day China’s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui came from one game down to beat Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai.