Arctic Open: Lee Zii Jia faces Christo Popov in quarter-finals as Aaron Tai-Roy King topple seventh seeds

Two Malaysian campaigns are still alive at the Arctic Open after Thursday's second round in Vantaa, Finland. Former champion Lee Zii Jia beat Taiwan's Su Li Yang 21-17, 21-12, and the new men's doubles pairing of Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King upset the seventh seeds. Both play their quarter-finals today, Friday 9 October, but several other Malaysians went out on Thursday.

This follows our earlier report on the opening round, in which Zii Jia and Aaron Tai-Roy King advanced while Goh Soon Huat-Lai Shevon Jemie lost.

Zii Jia keeps building from qualifying

Zii Jia, the 2023 Arctic Open champion who is now ranked No. 56 in the world and plays as an independent, had to start this Super 500 tournament in qualifying. On Tuesday he beat home player Kalle Koljonen 21-12, 21-15 to reach the main draw. He then beat China's Dong Tian Yao 21-18, 21-14 in the first round.

Thursday's match against Su Li Yang at the Energia Areena took 46 minutes, and the Malaysian controlled both games. He is unseeded, and three wins in three days have taken him to the last eight.

His next opponent is far tougher. Christo Popov of France, the second seed, beat India's Tharun Mannepalli 21-14, 21-19 in the second round. Malay Mail called the quarter-final "a tricky task" for Zii Jia for the Malaysian.

Scratch pair Aaron-Roy King keep surprising

The biggest Malaysian upset of the day came in men's doubles. Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King beat Taiwanese brothers Lee Fang-Chih and Lee Fang-Jen, the seventh seeds, 21-19, 21-11 in 39 minutes.

The pair had opened the week with a 21-12, 21-13 win over compatriots Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong. In the quarter-finals they meet Thailand's Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul, who beat Scotland's Christopher and Matthew Grimley 21-18, 21-11.

Mixed doubles hopes end, Chia-Teo fall in three games

No Malaysian is left in the mixed doubles. Chen Tang Jie and Chan Wen Tse lost 15-21, 14-21 in 40 minutes to top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China. Jimmy Wong and Cheng Su Yin won their first game 21-19 against Japan's Akira Koga and Natsu Saito, but lost the next two 7-21, 11-21.

In men's doubles, Chia Wei Jie and Teo Ee Yi won the opening game 22-20 against Taiwan's Lai Po Yu and Tsai Fu Cheng. They then lost 20-22, 16-21 after 59 minutes. The Malaysians only started playing together at the Thailand Open in May.

In men's singles, Teh Jia Heng lost in straight games to Denmark's Anders Antonsen, the fourth seed.

What comes next

The Arctic Open is a BWF World Tour Super 500 event with US$500,000 (about RM2.04 million) in prize money, and it runs until Sunday 11 October. Finland is five hours behind Malaysia, so the quarter-finals fall in the Malaysian afternoon and evening. At the time of writing, neither Malaysian quarter-final had started.

If Zii Jia beats Popov, he plays in Saturday's semi-finals. For Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King, the tournament is already a strong start for a new partnership.

Key takeaways

• Lee Zii Jia beat Su Li Yang 21-17, 21-12 to reach the Arctic Open quarter-finals after starting the week in qualifying.
• He plays second seed Christo Popov of France on Friday 9 October.
• Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King beat seventh seeds Lee Fang-Chih and Lee Fang-Jen 21-19, 21-11 and next face Thailand's Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul.
• Chen Tang Jie-Chan Wen Tse, Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin, Chia Wei Jie-Teo Ee Yi and Teh Jia Heng all lost on Thursday.

FAQ

Who is Lee Zii Jia playing in the Arctic Open quarter-finals? Second seed Christo Popov of France. Popov beat India's Tharun Mannepalli 21-14, 21-19 in the second round.

Which Malaysians are still in the Arctic Open? Two entries remain: Lee Zii Jia in men's singles, and Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King in men's doubles.

When does the 2026 Arctic Open finish? The finals are on Sunday 11 October in Vantaa, Finland. The semi-finals are on Saturday.

Sources: Bernama, Malay Mail, The Sun, BadmintonPlanet, BWF