Lee Zii Jia lost 12-21, 20-22 to Indonesia's Prahdiska Bagas Shujiwo at the Macau Open on Wednesday. It was his fifth straight tournament where he could not pass the first-round hurdle. The Malaysian badminton star addressed the concerns around his form after the defeat.

Following poor outings at the Australian Open, Thailand Open, Orleans Masters and Swiss Open, the losses have piled up to the point where the result itself is no longer the story for Zii Jia.

"It's not very good. My overall circumstance is… I don't even know how to evaluate it," he said after the match. "Anyway, it's just really bad. I've tried many methods, but… how to put it… it seems like there's been no progress."

Lee, currently ranked world No. 63, struggled to find his rhythm early against Prahdiska, dropping the first game 12-21.

The second game was far more close. Lee pushed the score into the closing stages and came close to enforcing a decider.

But Prahdiska, the World No. 43, stayed calm at the crucial points to win the game 22-20.

The match lasted 38 minutes at the Macau East Asian Games Dome, with Lee appearing to lack the energy to match the younger Indonesian throughout the match.

Lee Zii Jia’s Struggles Continue Since the Injury

Lee Zii Jia is a Paris Olympics bronze medallist and 2024 Australian Open champion. For someone like him, a five-tournament streak of first-round exits is mentally very challenging.

Lee faced a recurring left ankle ligament injury during the BWF World Tour Finals in December 2024. Post that, he had tried to return to his best, but it has not fallen into place for him.

After the Australian Open exit, his coach, Liew Daren, had said that he'd hoped to see Lee go further, though he was at least pleased Lee came through the tournament without further injury.

The return from the injury has not been the way Lee and his coach would've wanted. The gap between where his game was before the injury and where he stands now appears to be wider than anyone anticipated.

Lee Zii Jia will now have to shift back to recovery, training, and finding the rhythm that once made him one of the prominent men's singles players.

He will next play in the US Open 2026, starting from 23rd June.

Do you think Lee will be able to get back to his best again? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Koushik Biswas

Edited by

Koushik Biswas