Malaysia opened their 2026 Thomas Cup campaign with a narrow 3-2 win over England, with Lee Zii Jia delivering the decisive point in a tense Group B clash at Forum Horsens.
Malaysia fall behind after Justin Hoh loses opening match
Malaysia got off to a shaky start when first singles Justin Hoh lost to England’s world No. 62 Harry Huang 19-21, 19-21.
Justin later admitted he felt the pressure of playing first.
He admitted that he felt some pressure playing as the first singles, adding that his opponent performed well and he failed to capitalise on his chances, as reported by Buletin TV3.
Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik level the score
Malaysia bounced back through their top doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who beat Oliver Butler and Samuel Jones 21-19, 21-13 to make it 1-1.
England pulled ahead again when Malaysia’s second singles Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, ranked world No. 51, was defeated by world No. 153 Cholan Kayan 16-21, 15-21.
The upset put Malaysia on the brink, trailing 1-2.
Second doubles pair keep Malaysia alive
Malaysia stayed in the tie thanks to Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun, who beat Alex Green and Zach Russ 21-14, 21-14.
Their win brought Malaysia level at 2-2 and set up a decisive final match.
Lee Zii Jia steps up to seal the win
All eyes were on Lee Zii Jia, who remained composed under pressure.
He defeated Nadeem Dalvi 21-13, 21-11 to secure Malaysia’s 3-2 victory.
With that, Malaysia walked away with a hard-fought win to kick off their Group B campaign.
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