PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia is just one rung away from his career-best ranking of world No. 2.
The 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medallist moved up one spot to No. 3 in the latest rankings.
He replaced Indonesia's Jonatan Christie, who dropped to No. 7 after a disappointing last few months.
The independent player is now only behind Denmark's Viktor Axelsen (No. 2) and China's Shi Yuqi (No. 1) in the rankings.
Zii Jia reached No. 2 in October 2022.
The 26-year-old could make his competitive return after the Olympics in the China Open from Sept 17-22 in Changzhou.