PETALING JAYA: Malaysian shuttlers Lee Zii Jia (pic) and Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have been given a different set of expectations at the Swiss Open starting tomorrow.
Badminton Association of Malaysia coaching director Wong Choong Hann wants the national No. 1 and second seed Zii Jia to rebuild his confidence in the men’s singles event.
The world No. 11 Zii Jia is entering the Swiss Open on the back of a poor showing in the back-to-back Thailand Opens last month, where he failed to clear the early rounds by losing to lower ranked players.
“Zii Jia has to start from scratch again to find his footing, so it’s one match at a time for him, ” said Choong Hann.
Zii Jia is slated to play South Korean Heo Hwang-hee in the first round. The others in his half are third seed Rasmus Gemke of Denmark, fifth seed B. Sai Praneeth of India and eighth seed Kunvalut Vitidsarn of Thailand.
Choong Hann, however, expects others in the team, including top seeds Aaron-Wooi Yik to live up to their billing.
“Some of our players have been seeded in this Olympics qualifiers and I’m expecting them to live up to their seeding, ” he said.
Aaron-Wooi Yik, who are in the same top half with third seeds Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong, Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov of Russia (7th) and Ben Lane-Sean Vardy of England (8th), are expected to reach the final and win their first Open title.
The pairs from the lower half with a realistic chance of challenging for the title are second seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty of India, Marcus Ellis-Chris Langridge of England (4th), Teo Ee Yi-Ong Yew Sin (5th) and Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (6th).
The only other BAM pair seeded in the tournament are Lee Meng Yean-Chow Mei Kuan as the second seeds in the women’s doubles.
MALAYSIAN SQUAD
BADMINTON ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA
Men’s singles: Lee Zii Jia
Men’s doubles: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Low Hang Yee-Ng Eng Cheong
Women’s doubles: Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, Teoh Mei Xing-Yap Ling
Mixed doubles: Hoo Pang Ron-Cheah Yee See, Cheng Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei
INDEPENDENT
Men’s singles: Liew Daren
Men’s doubles: Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi
Women’s singles: Soniia Cheah
Mixed doubles: Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing.
