Antonsen offers encouraging words to Zii Jia after Arctic Open duel
KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Zii Jia's Finnish fairytale may have ended in the Arctic Open semi-finals, but the Malaysian shuttler left Vantaa with something far more valuable than a place in the final.
Lee Zii Jia's Finnish journey may have concluded in the Arctic Open semi-finals, but the Malaysian shuttler departed Vantaa with something far more invaluable than a final berth. Finnish friend Anders Antonsen reminded the Malaysian player not to lose faith in himself during their intense 78-minute men's singles match on Saturday.
Antonsen emerged victorious 21-11, 15-21, 21-16 in Vantaa. The exchange at the net struck a deeper chord with world No. 56 Zii Jia, who later shared the conversation on Instagram. Zii Jia recounted their handshake, where Antonsen said, "Thanks for the match, my friend. Welcome back," and Zii Jia replied, "I hope so." Antonsen then added, "You are the only one who doubts yourself."
This message resonated deeply with Zii Jia, whose career has been marred by injury problems for two years and a prolonged struggle to regain his confidence.
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