PETALING JAYA: Shuttler Lee Zii Jia suffered a fresh blow after he was forced to retire from his quarter-final match against Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan in the Thailand Masters.
Zii Jia, who is competing in his fourth consecutive tournament after making his comeback following an injury-hit 2025, started off strongly against the Indonesian Masters champion and won the first game 21-10 at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok on Friday (Jan 30).
The independent player though slipped when he tried to retrieve the shuttle at 15-17 in the second game and called for medical attention.
Zii Jia carried on playing but was forced to throw in the towel after losing 15-21.
It was another setback for the 27-year-old, who was hoping to reach the semi-finals for the first time since winning bronze in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Malaysia’s challenge in the men’s singles in Thailand is over after Zii Jia’s exit.
