Zii Jia faces not just tough opponents, but stern fitness test as well
Zii Jia has been troubled by an ankle injury and played in only two tournaments - the Orleans Masters and All-England in March - so far this year.
The 27-year-old has to be on his toes from the start in Paris where he has a tricky first-round match against South Korea's world No. 38 Jeon Hyeok-jin.
Hyeok-jin has troubled Zii Jia before, toppling him in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games team match.
The independent player though does have a 3-1 head-to-head record against the Korean and will be keen to claim his first win since beating India's K. Srikanth in the Orleans Masters second round.
Zii Jia lost to Ireland's Nhat Nguyen in the last eight in the tourney and then suffered a first-round defeat to Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long in the All-England.
His long absence from competitions has resulted in his world rankings slipping to No. 52.
If Zii Jia progresses to the second round in the world meet, he will likely go up against China's world No. 4 Li Shifeng.
Shifeng is the favourite in his opening match against Japan's world No. 27 Yushi Tanaka.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's other representative in the men's singles, world No. 25 Leong Jun Hao, who will be making his debut, 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 debutant K. Letshanaa will meet Hong Kong's Saloni Mehta.
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Zii Jia thrills fans with explosive Instagram training clip and a celebrity cameo [WATCH]
KUALA LUMPUR: A lean, mean-looking Lee Zii Jia has delighted fans with a much-anticipated update — posting a slick training video ahead of the Paris World Championships. The 40-second clip, shared on the world No. 52's Instagram, shows the men's singles ace firing off explosive jumping smashes with ease — a clear sign he has shaken off the right ankle injury that sidelined him for months. Zii Jia looked sharp, agile and noticeably trimmer, moving freely without the ankle brace that had become a fixture since he was injured last December. The lay-off saw him play only twice this year — reaching the Orleans Masters quarter-finals and suffering a first-round exit at the All England, both in March. View this post on Instagram A post shared by HAIRUL AZREEN IDRIS (@hairulazreen) The former world No. 2 even had a visit from actor-director Hairul Azreen Idris, who shared a light moment with him. "Yeah @leeziijia is back! Thank God his leg has fully recovered," Hairul wrote. Now training under former international Yeoh Kay Bin, Zii Jia faces a tricky return to the Adidas Arena — the scene of his Paris Olympics bronze last year. He opens against South Korea's world No. 38 Jeon Hyeok Jin, with a likely second-round clash against China's world No. 4 Li Shi Feng. The form on display in the video suggests he won't be a pushover, and an upset against Shi Feng is not out of the question.
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Jun Hao gets rare chance to spar with Antonsen as part of world reparations
Raring to go: Based on the World Championships draw released on Wednesday, Anders Antonsen could be Leong Jun Hao's opponent in the last eight if both go that far. PETALING JAYA: It's not often that a player gets to spar with a potential opponent before facing him on one of badminton's biggest stages. But men's singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao will have that rare opportunity when he trains with world No. 2 Anders Antonsen of Denmark ahead of the World Championships from Aug 25-31 in Paris. Jun Hao will head to Copenhagen for a training camp from Aug 18-22 where Antonsen is expected to be present, before the Malaysian makes his debut in the world meet. Based on the draw released on Wednesday, world No. 25 Jun Hao could go up against Antonsen if both reach the last eight. Singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen believes the sparring sessions are a crucial part of Jun Hao's preparations for the world meet. 'Jun Hao's preparations so far have been good but as always the final 10 days before the tournament are very important,' said Jonassen. 'The training camp is crucial as we can fine tune many details there. We will have high quality real match play and the intensity will be even higher. 'I believe Anders will be there (in Copenhagen) during the training session,' he said. Despite starting as the underdog, Jonassen believes Jun Hao has a good chance to go far in Paris. The 26-year-old has been given a favourable start in the competition as he will avoid the world's top 10 players in the first two rounds. Jun Hao should have no problems beating Switzerland's Tobias Kuenzi in his opening match before a meeting with either Japan's world No. 14 Kenta Nishimoto or Taiwan's world No. 28 Wang Tzu-wei in the second round. The going gets tougher for the 2017 Asian Junior champion if he makes it into the third round as he could face another Taiwanese, world No. 6 Chou Tien-chen. 'I think we can be happy with this draw. There are chances if Jun Hao can play at his very highest level and stay consistent,' said Jonassen. Meanwhile, another Malaysian men's singles representative Lee Zii Jia will be making his much awaited comeback in the prestigious meet after a long injury layoff. Zii Jia has been struggling with an ankle injury this year and last competed in the All-England in March. The independent player will open his campaign in Paris against South Korea's world No. 38 Jeon Hyeok-jin. If he gets past Hyeok-jin, Zii Jia could take on China's world No. 4 Li Shifeng in the second round.
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Li Peng: Pearly-Thinaah are redefining excitement in women's doubles
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