Lee Zii Jia Sets Sights on Major Improvements in Upcoming Malaysian Open

By: Michelle Liew

National badminton ace Lee Zii Jia has set sights on proving that he is worthy of his world no.2 ranking.

The shuttler admitted that his performance was underwhelming in the second half the 2022 season and that he will be working hard to improve himself from hereafter.

“For me, inconsistency remains a key issue that I have to deal with," said Zii Jia as quoted from The Star.

"In my opinion, the world No. 2 position I'm occupying isn't that secure. So when I return next year, I must really go out there to prove that I deserve to be the world No. 2."

Zii Jia has enjoyed back-to-back wins at the Asia Championships and Thailand Open. In the second half of the season, he did not make it through the last-16 stage in five other tournaments, including the Malaysia Open and World Championships.

The top gun is aiming to bounce back in the upcoming Malaysia Open, which will be held at the Axita Arena in Bukit Jalil from Jan 10 to 15 2023. The tournament has recently gained the Super 1000 status.

"Every player wants to win the national open in front of their home fans and I'm no exception. It's definitely one of the main targets," said Zii Jia.

"But I will not put too much pressure on myself and will look to savour the opportunity to play on home soil."