Malaysian badminton star Lee Zii Jia continued his impressive run at the Arctic Open in Finland, defeating Taiwan's Su Li Yang in straight games to reach the quarter-finals of the World Tour Super 500 tournament.
The world number 56 player secured a convincing 21-17, 21-12 victory over Su, who is ranked 17 places higher at number 39, in a 46-minute encounter at Energia Areena in Vantaa on Thursday.
Lee dominated the match from start to finish, controlling the tempo in the opening game before delivering an even more commanding performance in the second. The straight-games victory extended his winning streak at the tournament to two matches.
The Malaysian now faces his toughest test yet in Friday's quarter-final clash against France's world number 2 Christo Popov. The match will be a significant challenge for Lee as he continues his return to competitive form.
In Wednesday's opening round, Lee had shown promising signs by defeating China's Dong Tian Yao, ranked 40th in the world, also in straight games. The back-to-back victories suggest the former world number 2 is gradually rediscovering his best form.
Lee's journey back to the top has been challenging since his return to competitive badminton in January following an extended break from the tour. Having dropped from second to 56th in the world rankings, these victories at a Super 500 event are crucial for rebuilding both his ranking points and confidence.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's mixed doubles campaign ended as Jimmy Wong and Cheng Su Yin fell to Japan's Akira Koga and Natsu Saito in the second round. The Malaysian pair fought hard but ultimately lost 21-19, 7-21, 11-21 in a 61-minute battle. After narrowly losing the first game, Wong and Cheng bounced back strongly in the second, but couldn't maintain their momentum in the decider.
