KUALA LUMPUR: Defending champion Lee Zii Jia's campaign in the Arctic Open came to an abrupt end after he was beaten by Japan's Koki Watanabe in the quarter-finals today.
World No. 14 Watanabe troubled Zii Jia with his unconventional style of play, securing a 21-15, 13-21, 21-12 win in 66 minutes.
Despite a spirited fightback in the second game, world No. 4 Zii Jia couldn't prevent Watanabe from extending his unbeaten streak against the Malaysian to three matches.
Zii Jia will now shift his focus to the Denmark Open in Odense next week, where he was the runner-up last year.