'Yu Qi? Kunlavut? Anyone but Zii Jia for world title'
KUALA LUMPUR: Who will win the men's singles crown at the World Championships in Paris from Aug 25-31?
Even former world No 1 Rashid Sidek isn't prepared to make a prediction, noting the lack of dominance among the top players on the World Tour this season.
He said none of the top eight players have dominated, making Paris an open contest.
On paper, China's world No 1 Shi Yu Qi looks the favourite after back-to-back victories at the Japan and China Opens.
But the Chinese star has struggled on the big stage, often failing to justify his seeding.
Aside from finishing runner-up at the 2018 World Championships at home, he has never truly delivered at major events, including the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he fell to eventual silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the quarter-finals.
World No 3 Kunlavut, the defending champion, also appears shaky, while Denmark's world No 2 Anders Antonsen and China's world No 4 Li Shi Feng have been inconsistent this year.
"This will be the most unpredictable edition yet," said Rashid.
"Yu Qi may start as favourite, but anyone could win. He's the man in form, but history shows he struggles in big events. Kunlavut has been inconsistent since winning the world title, Antonsen is also patchy, and Shi Feng has dropped off since his 2023 Asian Games gold."
Rashid added that Indonesia's Jonatan Christie (No 5), Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen (No 6), France's Alex Lanier (No 7) and Japan's Kodai Naraoka (No 8) have also failed to impose themselves this season.
As for Malaysia's hopes, Rashid believes Lee Zii Jia remains a world-class contender when fully fit, but his current form is a mystery after a long lay-off with an ankle injury.
World No. 52 Zii Jia has played only two events this year — the Orleans Open and the All England in March — reaching the quarter-finals in Orleans before losing in the first round in Birmingham.
He has not been the same since injuring his ankle at the World Tour Finals last December.
"Zii Jia has the quality to challenge for the title in such an open field," said Rashid.
"But he's kept quiet about his recovery and we can't gauge his level.
"He could be rusty going straight into a major, but as an unseeded player there's less pressure. It'll be interesting to see how he handles it."
Malaysia's other qualifier, world No 25 Leong Jun Hao, will need to put together a string of upsets to go deep in Paris.
"Jun Hao can beat top-10 players, but he needs to do it back-to-back," Rashid said.
"He can topple a big name one day and then fail to raise his game the next — that's what's holding him back."
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