13-08-2025
Zii Jia faces tricky opener on comeback trail at World C'ships
KUALA LUMPUR: All eyes will be on former All England champion Lee Zii Jia when he makes his long-awaited return at the World Championships in Paris from August 25-31.
The world No 52 has not played since March, when he featured at the All England and Orleans Masters, and will open his campaign unseeded against South Korea's world No 38 Jeon Hyeok Jin.
Zii Jia has been out with an ankle injury — and his return is bound to turn more heads than a Paris fashion show.
Victory over Hyeok Jin would likely set up a second-round clash with China's world No 4 Li Shi Feng, who holds a 4-2 lead in their head-to-head.
Meanwhile, world No 25 Leong Jun Hao is expected to ease past Switzerland's world No 147 Tobias Kuenzi in the first round before taking on Japan's world No 14 Kenta Nishimoto.
Jun Hao won their most recent meeting at last month's China Open and leads 3–2 overall.
A third-round date with world No 6 Chou Tien Chen could follow.
Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei was the last Malaysian to win a men's singles medal at the World Championships, claiming silver in 2015.
In the women's singles, world No 50 Goh Jin Wei will face China's world No 14 Gao Fang Jie in the opening round.
The pair are tied 1-1 in their head-to-head.
Compatriot and world No. 40 K. Letshanaa is on a collision course with India's former world champion and world No. 15 P. V. Sindhu in the second round.
She has been drawn to meet Hong Kong's world No. 77 Saloni Samirbhai Mehta in the first round.
Letshanaa has a 2-0 record against her opponent.
Malaysia have never won a women's singles medal at the event.
