WATCHING the way Lee Zii Jia fall by the wayside at the World Championships was painful for Lee Chong Wei.
Yesterday, Zii Jia made plenty of errors en route to losing 19-21, 21-11, 19-21 to Zhao Junpeng of China.
The world No. 5 had skipped the Birmingham Commonwealth Games to focus on the World Championships but yesterday’s third-round defeat was his worst result, after having reached the quarter-finals in his debut at the 2019 Basel and 2021 Huelva editions.
“From the way he played, I think he has put too much pressure on himself,” said Chong Wei, who had turned up in Tokyo for the Yonex promotional event and was at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium to throw his support behind Zii Jia and the other Malaysians.
“In the decider, Zii Jia tapped a shot that was clear for a smash to the net ... it’s a sign of being under pressure,” said Chong Wei, a three-time world championships silver medal winner.
“Playing in an Open tournament is not the same as in the World Championships. He made many unforced errors. Hopefully, he will learn from this experience.”
