PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia (pic) will look to regain his rhythm at the Vietnam Open starting today, but a tricky test could await him in the third round in Ho Chi Minh City.
The 28-year-old, who has taken time to regroup since his first round exit at last month’s Korean Masters, sees the Super 100 tournament as the ideal platform to test himself after a solid month of training.
World No. 58 Zii Jia, who received a first round bye, is scheduled to face either Taiwan’s Wu Zhe-ying or a qualifier in the second round.
However, the competition is expected to get tougher in the third round, where he could face India’s H.S. Prannoy.
The third-seeded Indian, ranked No. 39 in the world, will already have a Malaysian opponent in the second round, with either Huan Kai Hern or Jacky Kok in his path.
Zii Jia and Prannoy have split their four previous meetings, with the Malaysian winning their most recent encounter at the Indonesian Masters in January.
Zii Jia’s Korean Masters campaign ended with a first round defeat by compatriot Eogene Ewe, but he heads into Vietnam with renewed confidence after stepping up his training.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Cheam June Wei will open against home player Nguyen Hai Dang, while Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin faces India’s Orijit Chaliha.
