PARIS, Aug 2 – Malaysian professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia ousted France’s top player Toma Junior Popov to advance to the quarterfinals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The world number seven, who had to contend with the strong support for Popov from the home crowd at Porte de La Chapelle Arena, secured a straight-sets victory, 21-13, 24-22, in 43 minutes.
The 26-year-old will face a tough challenge against world number three from Denmark, Anders Antonsen, in the quarterfinals tomorrow.
“It was a tough game, especially in the second set as I was against the crowd, but I just tried to be calm and focus on the game. I am very happy to advance to the quarterfinals because in the last edition, I lost in the round of 16, so this is a breakthrough for me,” he said.
Antonsen, who received a bye in the last 16 as the fourth seed, has had an extra day of rest compared to Zii Jia.
