KUALA LUMPUR: It was a day of mixed results for the Malaysian badminton camp at the Kumamoto Masters in Japan today.
Lee Zii Jia was sent packing in the first round while Ng Tze Yong checked into the second round.
Zii Jia, who turned down the Sports Ministry's offer to be part of the Road to Gold programme on Tuesday, lost 21-18, 22-20 to Denmark's Ander Antonsen.
The defeat was a bitter pill to swallow as Zii Jia held game point in the second at 20-17, but still couldn't force a decider.
Antonsen, who lost to Zii Jia in the Arctic Open last month, will face Japan's Kodai Naraoka next.
World No 15 Tze Yong marched into the second round after downing Taiwan's Wang Tzu Wei 21-12, 21-11.
Tze Yong, who is just four rungs below Zii Jia on the world rankings, will take on world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen tomorrow.
In their first encounter at the All England in March, the Malaysian edged the great Dane in three games.
Another top name in world badminton, Kento Momota of Japan, looks to be slowly regaining his form.
The two-time former world champion, who had to play through the qualifying rounds, advanced to the second stage after seeing off former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 18-21, 26-24, 21-19.
Momota, fresh from winning the Korea Masters title last week, will take on Denmark's Rasmus Gemke next for a place in the quarter-finals.
In the mixed doubles, all three Malaysian pairs - Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai and Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing - cleared the first round.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei defeated Taiwan's Wei Chun Wei-Nicol Chan 21-11, 21-10, and will face independents Soon Huat-Shevon next. Soon Huat-Shevon ousted Scotland's Adam Hall-Julie Macpherson 21-11, 21-11 in the first round.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing defeated Taiwan's Chen Zi Ray-Yang Chin Tun 20-22, 21-13, 21-15, and are up against South Korea's sixth seeds Kim Won Ho-Jeong Na Eun next.