PETALING JAYA: Professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia will return to action at the Swiss Open starting on Tuesday in Basel.
With all is cleared for Zii Jia to play for Malaysia in the Thomas Cup Finals in Denmark next month, the former All-England champion is expected to be doubly motivated at the Swiss Open.
However, the Kedah-born player will have to start from the qualifying rounds to secure a place in the main draw.
Zii Jia will first face Japan’s world No. 54 Minoru Koga.
If he gets past Koga, he will have to clear another hurdle against either Taiwan’s world No. 46 Wang Po-wei or Croatia’s world No. 56 Aria Dinata for a spot in the main draw.
Zii Jia was supposed to compete at the German Open last week but withdrew at the last minute, while his ranking also meant he was not eligible for the All-England this week.
Nevertheless, he is already in England as he looks to adapt to the European weather.
Compatriot Justin Hoh will also compete in the Swiss Open and will face France’s Arnaud Merkle in the first round.
