KUALA LUMPUR: National singles ace Lee Zii Jia failed to defend his All England title after succumbing to India’s Lakshya Sen after three sets in the semi-finals at Utilita Arena Birmingham today.
Both players traded points early on in the first set before Sen pulled ahead, winning it 21-13.
As the game looked to be in Sen’s favor, Zii Jia, 24, responded with an energetic performance in the second set, storming to a 10-2 lead before winning it 21-12.
In the rubber set, Zi Jia who had lost to Sen in an international series in Hyderabad, India, in 2016, once again failed to match the 21-year-old challenger, who recorded a 21-19 victory.
In tomorrow’s final, Sen will either take on the tournament’s number one seed, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, or fourth seed from Taiwan, Chou Tien Chen.
The latter two are expected to square off in the other semi-final action later today. - Bernama