Zii Jia, who won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games two weeks ago, probably was tired as he went down to the 19-year-old player 18-21, 13-21 in 40 minutes in Yokohama on Tuesday (Aug 20).

The Japan Open was Zii Jia’s first tournament since winning the medal in Paris and has been feted by many for his success.

He said he was not in his best condition.

“I have been feeling physically weak for the past few days since coming back from the Olympic Games outing but skipping the tournament was not part of the plan,” said Zii Jia in his social media posting.

“I played because I felt that it would not harm me. I tried my best and fought through the match but my body didn’t allow me to perform to the best of my abilities.”

“I’m looking forward for a good rest and recovery before I play in the next tournament,” added Zii Jia, who is likely to play in the Korean Open from Aug 27-Sept 1.