KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttler Lee Zii Jia avoided a first round banana skin at the Australian Open in Sydney today.
The world No. 8 slogged for a 21-16, 18-21, 21-10 win against India's S. Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian.
Zii Jia will play compatriot, Soong Joo Ven, next for a place in the quarter-finals. Joo Ven ousted Canada's Victor Lai 21-12, 21-16.
In the women's singles, national shuttler K. Letshanaa thrashed Australia's Ira Sameer Acharya 21-6, 21-5 in the opening round, and will face Taiwan's Pai Yu Po next.
It was the end of the road for national player Wong Ling Ching who lost 21-14, 23-21 to India's Anupama Upadhyaya.
