Jonatan Christie has been handed a tough start to his title defence at LI-NING Hong Kong Open 2024 as a result of top seed Shi Yu Qi’s withdrawal.

Christie now takes the No.1 position in the draw due to the Seed Withdrawal Movement and faces Wang Tzu Wei in the first round. Wang is 8-7 ahead in their career meetings, although Christie has won two of the most recent three.

Similarly, Christie’s Indonesian teammate Anthony Sinisuka Ginting has got a new opponent – Toma Junior Popov. The Frenchman ended Ginting’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games dream in the group stage six weeks ago.

For the record, Christie last year became the first Indonesian since Budi Santoso in 1998 to top the men’s singles podium.

Other withdrawals and promotions are as follows.

Withdrawals

Men’s singles: Li Shi Feng (fourth seed), Lee Chia Hao

Women’s singles: Wang Zhi Yi (second seed), Nozomi Okuhara (eighth seed), Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo

Men’s doubles: Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik (second seeds), Choong Hon Jian/Haikal Muhammad (eighth seeds)

Mixed doubles: Ye Hong Wei/Lee Chia Hsin (fifth seeds), Choong/Go Pei Kee

Promotions

Men’s singles: Justin Hoh, Cheam June Wei, Jason Gunawan

Women’s singles: Lee Yu-Hsuan, Yu Chien Hui, Pitchamon Opatniputh

Men’s doubles: Huang Di/Zhou Hao Dong, Kim Gi Jung/Kim Sa Rang

Mixed doubles: Wang Chi-Lin/Hsu Yin-Hui, Leong Iok Chong/Ng Weng Chi

Click here to view the updated draw.

LI-NING Hong Kong Open 2024 starts tomorrow, with the first qualification match scheduled at 9am Kuala Lumpur time (UTC +8).