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.

Close friend Anders Antonsen reminded the Malaysian shuttler not to lose faith in himself.

After a gruelling 78-minute men's singles battle on Saturday, world No. 6 Antonsen prevailed 21-11, 15-21, 21-16 in Vantaa.

But it was their exchange at the net that struck a deeper chord with world No. 56 Zii Jia, who later shared the conversation in an Instagram post.

Recounting their handshake, Zii Jia wrote: "Antonsen said, 'Thanks for the match, my friend. Welcome back.'

"I replied, 'I hope so.'

"Then he said, 'You are the only one who doubts yourself.' Honestly, that hit hard. Way more than all the noise online right now. Appreciate it, bro."

Those words carried particular weight for Zii Jia, whose career has been disrupted by injury woes for two years and a prolonged struggle to rediscover his confidence.

Yet, his impressive run at the Arctic Open suggested that the former All England champion may finally be turning a corner.

Speaking after the match, Zii Jia admitted it had been a while since he produced such a strong performance.

"It has been a long time since I played such a game, especially against a top player," Zii Jia said.

"Antonsen is a very consistent player. Physically, he is better than me, knows his shot placements and how to save his energy. It's not easy to play him.

"I just wish him all the best, and I hope he can win the championship."

Zii Jia, who was competing in his first Super 500 tournament since winning the Australian Open in 2024, showed no obvious signs of physical discomfort during the match in Vantaa.

His semi-final appearance also marked a significant turnaround from last month's Vietnam Open, where he suffered a shock second-round defeat to Taiwan's world No. 90 Wu Zhe Ying.

The Malaysian endured a difficult season, suffering first-round exits in seven of the 14 tournaments he entered this year.

While Antonsen battles for his first Arctic Open crown against Japan's world No. 18 Yushi Tanaka later on Sunday, the week at Vantaan Energia Areena offered renewed hope for Zii Jia.

The 2021 All England champion defeated China's Dong Tian Yao (world No. 40), Taiwan's Su Li Yang (world No. 39) and France's world No. 2 Christo Popov on his way to the last four.

Although his campaign ended one match short of the final, Zii Jia's performance — and Antonsen's heartfelt words — could prove a turning point as he looks to rebuild his confidence and return to challenging for titles on the World Tour.

For a player who has spent so long battling injuries and doubts, perhaps the most important victory in Finland was the belief that he still belongs among the best.