PETALING JAYA: Lee Zii Jia described his win over Koki Watanabe as a timely boost, despite Malaysia falling 2-3 to Japan in their final Group B tie at the Thomas Cup in Horsens, Denmark on Wednesday (April 29).
Fielded in the last match, Zii Jia showed signs of regaining his touch and confidence after beating Watanabe 21-13, 21-19.
It was not only his first win over the Japanese, but also his first victory against a top 20 opponent since returning from injury last year.
The last time he achieved that was when he defeated Anders Antonsen at the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou in 2024.
"I mean at this moment, like just now, I think I need this win for myself especially at this moment after coming back from injury. I don't think that I've beaten any top 20 players at all.
"This is the first win against top 20 players so I think it's a confidence boost for me," said Zii Jia in an interview with the Badminton World Federation.
The Paris Olympic bronze medallist admitted he became slightly rushed towards the end of the match, but was relieved to still come through against Watanabe.
"I mean definitely it's getting closer and closer to the end of the game. Maybe I was a little bit desperate to close out the game and that's the moment that I made a lot of easy mistakes," he added.
Zii Jia has now maintained a perfect record in the group stage, a better return than the other Malaysian men’s singles players in the current Thomas Cup squad.
More importantly, he has done so without being troubled by injuries.
“As I always say, the most important thing is no injuries, and I’m glad I could win this match at the right time,” he said.
Despite the defeat, Malaysia still progressed to the quarter-finals alongside Japan as Group B runners-up.
Malaysia are now expected to face either China, Chinese Taipei or Thailand in the quarter-finals, with the draw set to be held on Thursday (April 30).
