Zii Jia’s Struggle to regain full fitness continues after shocking first-round loss

PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia is still struggling to get back to full fitness after the Paris Olympics.

Zii Jia suffered a shocking 15-21, 2-21 defeat at the hands of Japan’s Koki Watanabe in the first round of the China Open at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Changzhou yesterday.

The world No. 3 was leading 8-0 and 11-8 in the first game but the Japanese world No. 15 came back strongly to win the game.

In the second game, Zii Jia unbelievably found himself 0-15 down before losing badly.

In the post match interview with the Badminton World Federation, the 26-year-old said the defeat was down to his struggles to regain 100% fitness since the Olympics.

“As you can see, I was leading a bit far at the start of the first game but I could not take the win,” said Zii Jia.

“My condition is not the best yet. I still have to keep working to get back to my best condition. To be honest, I have not spoken to the media about this. After the Olympics, my body condition is quite weird. I have a lot of injuries coming on and I don’t know why.

“I just can’t recover 100%. Once I train with some intensity, I get sore everywhere like my elbow and knee. My back is also getting stiff.

“This is something that I need to solve,” added Zii Jia.

Zii Jia, who captured bronze in the Olympics a month ago, also suffered a first-round exit in the Japan Open where he lost to eventual champion Alex Lanier of France.

The independent player decided to skip the Korean and Hong Kong Opens before making his return in China.

Zii Jia is now out to regain his fitness and form ahead of the Arctic Open from Oct 8-13 in Finland as he hopes to qualify for the prestigious season ending World Tour Finals from Dec 11-15 in Hangzhou.

“My condition is getting better and I can still compete in a tournament,” said Zii Jia.

“I will probably be going to the Arctic Open next and hopefully, there will be more good news there.

“I have to get back to my best condition to qualify for the World Tour Finals.”

Meanwhile, Malaysia still have one last hope in the singles in the China Open when Leong Jun Hao opens his campaign today against Frenchman Toma Popov.

In the women’s singles, the country’s sole representative Goh Jin Wei crashed out after going down 9-21, 21-12, 8-21 to Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun.

RESULTS

(Malaysians only)First round

Men’s singles: Koki Watanabe (Jpn) bt Lee Zii Jia 21-15, 21-2.

Men’s doubles: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani bt Chen Boyang-Liu Yi (Chn) 17-21, 21-12, 21-19; Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi bt Chen Zhi Yi-Presley Smith (US) 21-11, 21-12; Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun bt Xie Haonan-Zeng Weihan (Chn) 21-17, 21-19; Ben Lane-Sean Vendy (Eng) bt Low Hang Yee-Ng Eng Cheong 18-21, 21-19, 21-15.

Mixed doubles: Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Jamie Lai bt Terry Hee-Jessica Tan (Sin) 21-13, 21-15.