Malaysia's Zii Jia Eyes Olympic Qualification Amidst Impressive Form

Lee Zii Jia has shown notable improvement compared to the previous year as he gears up for the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta. The 26-year-old independent men’s singles player experienced early exits in four tournaments at the start of last year but recently only lost in the first round of the Petronas Malaysia Open. He further advanced to the quarter-finals of the India Open, a positive sign according to Zii Jia, who acknowledges the need for continuous improvement.  Despite facing challenges last year including 13 early exits, Zii Jia managed to win the Arctic Open and reach the final of the Denmark Open. 

Currently ranked No. 11 in the Race to Paris standings, he is on track to qualify for the Olympic Games in July. Zii Jia, trained under Wong Tat Meng is set to open his Indonesia Masters campaign against India’s K. Srikanth, with a potential second-round matchup against India Open champion Shi Yu Qi. Other Malaysian player Ng Tze Yong is sidelined due to a back injury, while Leong Jun Hao, last year’s KL Masters champion, must go through qualifying rounds.