PETALING JAYA: Lee Zii Jia has revealed that one of the people who inspired him to keep fighting through the toughest period of his career was not a coach or fellow player, but physiotherapist Victoria Gao.
Victoria is best known for working with Taiwan's veteran Chou Tien-chen, who made history by capturing the China Open title in Changzhou last week.
After enduring two injury-plagued years that saw his ranking tumble, Zii Jia admitted Victoria's words during last year's China Masters have stayed with him ever since.
"I wouldn't say I've spoken to Tien-chen that much, but Victoria gave me a lot of encouragement. What I remember most was what she told me during last year's China Masters.
"'As long as you can step back onto the court again, you've already won,'" Zii Jia told Taiwanese media after his first round win at the Taiwan Open on Wednesday.
The independent shuttler battled back to beat home player Liao Jhuo-fu 22-24, 21-12, 21-15 and will next take on another Taiwanese, second seed Lin Chun-yi, for a place in the quarter-finals.
Zii Jia admitted there were times during his rehabilitation when he questioned whether he should return to competitive badminton.
"I've been taking things one step at a time. I'll keep playing until the day I can't play anymore.
"I've asked myself many times whether I should return to the court, and every time the answer has been yes. Since that's my answer, I have to keep going. Whether I lose in the first round or keep losing, I believe I have to persevere," he said.
The 28-year-old also explained that his decision to decline selection for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya this September was based on his current physical condition.
He felt he was not yet ready to contribute in the team event and believes there are players better suited for the role at this stage.
"Every point matters in the team event. I think there are players who are better suited for it at the moment.
"My mentality, my body and my style of play are all different now. As I'm getting older, I can't play as aggressively as I used to.
"I'm still working on a new style that suits me and hopefully it will help me become a more mature player," said Zii Jia.
