PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s top men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia has continued his climb up the world rankings, bringing him closer to the top 50.
According to the latest update from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Tuesday (Feb 3), Zii Jia jumped 16 places to No. 63 in the world.
The rise is particularly remarkable considering he began January ranked 144th, showing a rapid resurgence in just one month.
His close friend, Goh Jin Wei, who competes in women’s singles, also enjoyed a boost after delivering an impressive performance at last week’s Thailand Masters, moving up to No. 55 in the world rankings.
Ironically, both players achieved these gains despite battling injuries that forced them to withdraw from critical matches.
Zii Jia had to retire during the deciding set against Alwi Farhan in the Thailand Masters quarter-finals, while Jin Wei faced a similar setback, pulling out in the deciding set of the final against India’s Devika Sihag.
