Lee Comes of Age
A new Olympic medal contender has arrived.
· DEV SUKUMAR
First came his victory over top seed Kento Momota in the YONEX All England quarterfinals – Lee Zii Jia’s first win in seven matches over the reigning world champion. Then, in the final, he delivered the coup de grâce over no less a player than Viktor Axelsen, who has been on a roll, it being his seventh straight final.
How difficult a task it would be to get the better of him was indicated by Axelsen himself, on the eve of the final.
“It’s Lee Zii Jia’s first All England final, so it’s definitely going to be exciting and maybe there’ll be some nerves also,” the Dane said. As someone who has played several major finals, including the previous All England, Axelsen knew he was in familiar territory compared to the Malaysian, who was in his first major final.