PETALING JAYA: It was not the result professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia was hoping for after his campaign at the Indonesian Masters came to an end yesterday.
However, there were still plenty of positives for Zii Jia to draw on as he looks ahead to a long and demanding tournament calendar this year.
Zii Jia bowed out after losing to Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul 21-15, 17-21, 8-21 in a 57-minute match at the Istora Senayan.
The defeat felt anticlimactic, especially after Zii Jia had shown signs of rediscovering his confidence a day earlier by beating India’s H.S. Prannoy in the first round.
Nevertheless, his overall showing in Jakarta was far more encouraging compared with his first round exit at last week’s Indian Open.
“A lot of positives to take from Indonesian Masters. A lot of learning curve as well after these past three tournaments. And a lot of thanks for the support,” Team LZJ posted yesterday.
Another positive was that Zii Jia appeared increasingly comfortable on court without showing any signs of pain.
The 27-year-old had struggled with ankle and back injuries last year, which forced him to miss several tournaments during his recovery.
The Indonesian Masters was Zii Jia’s third tournament of the year, and he will next turn his attention to the Thailand Masters starting on Tuesday.
Zii Jia is scheduled to face Belgium’s Julien Carragi in the first round.
