PETALING JAYA: Lee Zii Jia’s (pic) short break from badminton will come to an end at the Korean Open in Yeosu from July 18-22 where the shuttler will make an exciting return to competitions.
Zii Jia decided to take a temporary break from competition after his first-round exit in the Indonesian Open two weeks ago but will be competing in the back-to-back Korean and Japan Opens (July 25-30).
The fact that his newly appointed coach Wong Tat Meng is also set to begin guiding the world No. 14 next week should put Zii Jia in a positive frame of mind to shrug off his shaky form this year.
The beginning promises to be exciting as Zii Jia plays Tat Meng’s former charge from Hong Kong, Angus Ng Ka Long, in the first round.
In May, Tat Meng’s departure as Hong Kong coach had left Angus crying foul as he and his teammates were showing fine progress and they probably needed his guidance to do well at the Hangzhou Asian Games (Sept 23-Oct 8) and 2024 Paris Olympics.
Thus, Zii Jia’s match against Angus is expected to be a fiery one and a victory for the former could see him set up an all-Malaysian second round clash against Ng Tze Yong.
This could be followed by another interesting clash in the quarter-finals where he may play Singapore’s former world champion Loh Kean Yew in the quarter-finals.
While immediate results are not expected from Zii Jia, the fans will be hoping to see the vastly experienced Tat Meng helping to put the Kedah shuttler’s career back on track.
Former international Datuk Rashid Sidek believes the break will do Zii Jia a world of good and it is now up to him to make the most of Tat Meng’s presence to bounce back on the international stage.
“It is only normal for any player to take such a break and it will help Zii Jia to rejuvenate. But the most important thing is for him to have a good understanding with Tat Meng and start his pursuit towards Paris Olympics,” said Rashid.
“It will be too early for their combo to work any magic. So, let’s not hope for big results from Zii Jia in Korea or even in Japan.
“However, Zii Jia can settle down under Tat Meng, and there is a possibility he will progress again and return to the top 10.
“Trust is going to be the key to ensure the partnership works. Tat Meng has a lot of experience and he has learnt his trade from Li Mao, who used to be a top coach.
“Every coach has their own style and Tat Meng needs time to make sure his methods are effective to turn Zii Jia’s fortunes around.
“At the end of the day, Zii Jia is the person who is going to determine that he can use the presence of Tat Meng to move to another level.”
Meanwhile, world No. 21 Tze Yong has a tricky first-round match against Mithun Manjunath of India but is expected to prevail and possibly set up a clash against Zii Jia, if he overcomes Angus.Independent shuttler Cheam June Wei is the other Malaysian in the main draw but he is likely to face a tough time against Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan in his opening match.
In the women’s singles, Goh Jin Wei is the only Malaysian in the main draw where she will play Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani in the first round.
The independent shuttler should overcome the Indonesian but she faces an uphill task in the second round in a likely clash against world No. 2 An Se-young of South Korea.
