KUALA LUMPUR: Badminton heartthrob Lee Zii Jia crashed in the opening round of the China Masters today.
The world No. 7 Zii Jia was sent packing 21-14, 13-21, 21-13 by No. 17 Lakshya Sen of India in the Super 750 event at the Shenzhen Gymnasium.
The defeat dents Zii Jia's hopes of earning a berth in the season-ending World Tour Finals (WTF) next month.
Last week, the 26-year-old, who is making his return from an ankle injury, reached the quarter-finals of the Kumamoto Masters in Japan.
The first-round defeat in Shenzhen marks Zii Jia's sixth early exit this year.
He also lost in the first round of the China Open, Japan Open, Singapore Open, French Open and Malaysia Open.