Malaysia men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia reacts while against Denmark’s Anders Antonsen during the quarter-final match of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on Friday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has hinted at the possibility of withdrawing from the Swiss Open taking place next week after his hopes of a deep run at the All-England were dashed.
Despite a promising start in the first game, the 26-year-old was visibly hampered by an ankle injury, eventually bowing out in the opening round to Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long 21-19, 16-21, 12-21.
Zii Jia did not hide the fact that he had considered retiring from the match as early as the first game due to the pain but chose to push through until the final point.
“I thought I was ready. For this Europe trip, I only had about two weeks of proper training before coming here,” said Zii Jia.
“This injury has taken much longer to recover from than I expected.
“Maybe I rushed my return. Maybe it was the wrong decision. But it has already happened and I just have to accept it and move on,” said Zii Jia in a post match interview with Badminton World Federation.
“To be honest, I don’t have any plans yet for the next tournament. I need to monitor my injury and see how it progresses. So, for now, I haven’t made a decision,” he added.
The All-England was Zii Jia’s second tournament of the year after competing in the Orleans Masters in Paris last week, where he bowed out in the quarter-finals to Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen.
Ironically, the Swiss Open draw has set up an immediate rematch between Zii Jia and Angus in the first round next week.
Under the guidance of Wong Choong Hann, who previously coached Zii Jia, Angus prepared meticulously for this match and his efforts paid off.
In today’s second round, Angus will face 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore, who defeated compatriot Jason Teh in the opening round.
“In preparation, I focused on his court coverage because he’s tall, has long arms, and it’s not easy to break through his defence with just smashes. That’s why I needed to use a variety of shots.
“I think the most important thing is ending my losing streak against him, which will give me a lot of confidence if we meet again in the future. But I also know he’s just coming back from an injury and wasn’t at his best today. I hope he can bounce back in the future,” said Angus.
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