PETALING JAYA: Consistency is the key to reaching the top, even if it means stepping back to compete in lower-tier tournaments.
National badminton legend Datuk Rashid Sidek believes this should be the mantra for singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia if he hopes to rediscover his best form.
The 28-year-old Zii Jia appeared to be turning a corner after reaching the semi-finals of the Arctic Open earlier this month, but his momentum was short-lived after a sudden illness at the Hylo Open in Germany last week resulted in a second round exit.
The recent health concern has also forced him to withdraw from the qualifying rounds of this week’s Korean Open.
For Rashid, the priority should be stringing together consistent performances and victories and not worrying about rank.
“To build his confidence, perhaps he should consider entering slightly smaller tournaments,” Rashid suggested.
“Otherwise, he simply continues playing in the Super 750 and 1000 events. While his ranking remains high, his performance lacks consistency.”
Even after discounting his illness, the recent result highlighted an ongoing struggle for the world No. 42, who has suffered 14 early round exits this year.
His only notable deep runs have come at the Thailand Masters, where he reached the quarter-finals in May, followed by semi-final appearances at the Canada Open in June and the Arctic Open earlier this month.
“It is puzzling to watch him exit in the first or second round so frequently because you know he can do so much better,” added the former national singles ace.
Despite his struggles, Zii Jia has shown that he still possesses the quality to compete against the world’s best.
The Olympic bronze medallist gave a glimpse of his past brilliance when he stunned French world No. 1 Christo Popov en route to the Arctic Open semi-finals.
However, turning such flashes of brilliance into sustained performances remains the challenge for the former world No. 2.
Looking ahead, Zii Jia remains on the reserve list for the Kumamoto Masters (Nov 15-20) and the Hong Kong Open (Nov 17-22).
Should he come through those two tournaments unscathed, Zii Jia is also scheduled to compete in the main draw of the Syed Modi International from Nov 24-29 to conclude his season.
