Coach believes Zii Jia has found the inner motivation to turn his game around

KUALA LUMPUR: Singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia’s recent Europe swing had its ups and downs but it was the manner he had handled himself through it all that won the praise of his coach Wong Tat Meng.

Zii Jia started strongly by winning the Arctic Open in Finland, his first title in 17 months after the success at the 2022 Thailand Open. Then he went on to finish second in the Denmark Open in Odense but crashed out in the second round of the French Open in Paris.

In the Denmark Open, he found it hard to break the resolve of China’s Weng Hongyang but gained his sweet revenge against the same player in the first round of the French Open.

In between these tournaments, the world No. 11 had to deal with several challenges.

He had a painful blister on his right foot; his connecting flights from Denmark to Paris was changed and cancelled; and he had these huge expectations to deliver after going months without any positive results.

Tat Meng said the 24-year-old Zii Jia braved through all the hurdles in a calm and composed manner.

“He could have skipped Denmark Open because his blister had worsened or he could’ve pulled out of the French Open after arriving in the wee hours before his match against Hongyang, but he was determined to give it a shot,” said Tat Meng.

“When he won, he didn’t disclose his struggles and when he lost, he didn’t give any excuses. He, after all, had good reasons to skip as the blister hampered his footwork and the delay in flight affected his preparation. He only had 15 minutes to train at the venue before his event.

“However, he accepted his situation and tried to focus on his game. Past failures and experiences have taught him well. He’s learning to be positive as a professional.

“There will be more obstacles ahead of him but I believe Zii Jia will be mentally and physically ready to tackle any problems or challenges. I strongly believe that constant changes in him and his game are the ways to be consistent.”

Tat Meng said Zii Jia had got his foot treated as soon as he arrived in Malaysia on Monday.

“He often has foot blisters but this time they had become infected. It was bleeding and there was pus. I’m glad they are being treated,” he said.

“We’ve tried to use different types of insoles and finally found this particular one from Perth that suits him the best. We are also trying to improve on his footwork.

“I’ve coached him for three months now, and I see a more settled and calmer Zii Jia. We still have lots to work at, but technically, I’m happy to see that he has been adapting well. He has applied what he learned during practices into competitions.

“He’s more confident and has better self-esteem, which are valuable as he strives to achieve greater heights in his professional career.”

Zii Jia has been entered for the Korean Masters (Nov 7-12), Japan Masters (Nov 14-19) and China Masters (Nov 21-16) and Tat Meng is hoping that a consistent showing will help him to qualify for the World Tour Finals from Dec 13-17 in Hangzhou, China. Only the top eight will qualify, and Zii Jia is lying at the 11th spot in the Tour’s ranking.