Tough draw for returning Zii Jia in World Championships
Zii Jia, who is making his first competitive appearance since the All-England in March, will face a tricky opening match against South Korea's Jeon Hyeok-jin.
The independent player will likely go up against China's world No. 4 Li Shifeng if he progresses to the second round based on the draw released on Wednesday (Aug 13).
Zii Jia's fitness will be tested as he has been struggling with an ankle injury all year and has only competed in the Orleans Masters and All-England so far.
The 27-year-old has slipped to No. 52 in the latest world rankings due to his long absence from tournaments.
Meanwhile, world No. 25 Leong Jun Hao has an easier first match against Swiss player Tobias Kuenzi.
A win will see Jun Hao take on either Japan's world No. 14 Kenta Nishimoto or Taiwan's world No. 28 Wang Tzu-wei for a place in the third round.
In the women's singles, Goh Jin Wei has a difficult first-round match against China's Gao Fangjie, while K. Letshanaa will meet Hong Kong's Saloni Mehta.
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