Lee Zii Jia from Malaysia suffered an early exit in Japan Open, losing to France’s Alex Lanier. When it comes to the rankings, these two players were far from each other, especially after the Olympics. However, World No. 6 Lee Zii Jia‘s first-round exit from the Japan Open was not unexpected. This is because the Super 750 tournament had already lost its allure due to the withdrawal of several top players. Jia fell to French rising star Alex Lanier, highlighting his apparent lack of preparation. Zii Jia likely felt tired as he suffered defeat, 18-21, 13-21 in 40 minutes in Yokohama. In fact, Zii Jia never truly found his footing in the match and only led a game for a single point, at 1-0 in the second, during the entire contest.
Lee Zii Jia is out for Japan Open
In an interview, Zii Jia expressed that following the Olympics, he feel like his body is not on his best recently. This is why for some, his early exit in Japan Open is no longer surprising. “I have been feeling physically weak for the past few days since coming back from the Olympics, but skipping tournaments was not in the plan as long as I feel it would not harm me,” he expressed. “I tried my best and fought through the match just now but my body didn’t allow me to perform to the best of my abilities. Looking forward for a good rest and recovery for upcoming tournaments,” Zee Jia added.
Zii Jia has announced that he will be taking a one-month break before returning for the Hong Kong Open. Despite feeling physically weak since returning, Jia’s participation demonstrates his commitment to fulfilling the Badminton World Federation’s “Top Committed Player Obligations.” This policy mandates that the world’s top 15 singles players and top 10 doubles players compete in all Super 1000 and Super 750 events of the season, except for valid reasons like injury or illness. The Japan Open, held soon after the Olympics, led to a notable absence of elite players. This includes Olympic gold and silver medallists Viktor Axelsen and Kunlavut Vitidsarn, as well as top contenders Jonatan Christie and Li Shi Feng.
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