Former All England Champion Lee Zii Jia has withdrawn from the Malaysian masters despite receiving a late opening in the tournament.

Now, the Malaysian is getting ready for the upcoming US Open next month, from June 23-28. It is set in California, at California State University, Fullerton, as a part of his comeback. 

The decision carries potential implications when it comes down to rebuilding his ranking after a period full of setbacks.

This was initially a surprising move from Zii Jia, because the tournament is one of the biggest events in Malaysia, and one of the country’s biggest stars will be participating. But later, it was understood that this was a part of his plan to recover his rank.

Zii Jia was the All England Champion of 2021 and a former world No.2. He has spent the last year trying to recover from multiple injuries. And this long recovery period forced him to skip out on many tournaments, which caused his ranking to fall.

The US Open tournament is expected to be a bit lighter than the Asian Super 500 tournament. Most of the players are either skipping out for a tournament that is closer to them or choosing to rest in a busy season. Zii Jia holds more chances of directly entering the main draw.

The ranking is entirely based on points collected from tournaments. Players returning from injuries usually need to be very careful when planning their schedules.

There are reports online suggesting that Zii Jia’s team is preparing for a trip to Los Angeles ahead of the US Open. The US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur even shared a post wishing him well for the tournament.

For a player trying to rebuild his position, tournament selection is really important. And that brings attention back to the bigger question surrounding his Malaysia Masters withdrawal. 

Why Lee Zii Jia Chose to Skip the Malaysia Masters 

The main reason behind Zii Jia skipping the Malaysian masters is connected to his own recovery and fitness.

It was previously reported that the Malaysian shuttler has been careful around his recent injury struggles. It included ankle ligament issues and constant back problems.

Instead of going ahead with the home event, he chose to skip and rest to avoid another setback. His Malaysian fans were obviously disappointed after hearing the news. They even questioned why the player would skip a Super 500 event but still travel nearly 14,000 kilometres for the US Open. 

In a broader context, it’s a more understanding decision, as the player struggled with consistency in the recent season. With his rank sitting far below, the player does need to be careful with picking out his tournaments.

A strong run in the US Open would really help him improve his points. For now, the withdrawal from the Malaysian master's is not a missed opportunity. It is an attempt to get back at another bigger opportunity.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Koushik Biswas