KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Zii Jia remains in contention for his third final in as many tournaments after securing a place in the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Open on Thursday.
World No. 7 Zii Jia triumphed over China's world No. 19 Weng Hong Yang in a thrilling 72-minute match at Istora Senayan, winning 20-22, 21-9, 21-16 to claim his third victory in six meetings with Weng.
This win set up Zii Jia for a clash with world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand.
Kunlavut, returning to action since the Thailand Open three weeks ago, advanced by outclassing India's Priyanshu Rajawat 21-10, 21-17.
Zii Jia and Kunlavut have faced each other seven times, with Kunlavut winning on four occasions. However, Zii Jia holds the upper hand, having won their most recent encounter at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last October.
A victory would see Zii Jia emulate his best semi-final outing from 2022.
Zii Jia has been on a sensational run of late, winning the Thailand Open and coming in runner-up at the Malaysia Masters.
He skipped last week's Singapore Open due to a hamstring issue.