MALAYSIAN badminton star Lee Zii Jia’s (pic) highly anticipated return to competitive action came to an early conclusion at the World Championships in Paris on Monday.
The 27-year-old shuttler, currently ranked 52nd in the world, fell to South Korea’s Jeon Hyeok Jin (world No. 38) in straight sets during the men’s singles first round at the Adidas Arena. The match concluded 21-17, 21-11 in favor of the Korean player after 41 minutes of play.
After missing five months of competition due to injury, Zii Jia appeared to struggle finding his competitive form against his South Korean opponent. This marked his fifth appearance at the prestigious world tournament, but unfortunately his poorest performance to date.
The Malaysian’s previous World Championships results tell a story of gradual decline - from quarter-final appearances in 2019 and 2021, to Round of 16 finishes in 2022 and 2023, and now this first-round exit.
According to the New Straits Times, the former All-England champion’s early departure has sparked discussions about whether his return to competition may have been premature. Originally, Zii Jia had considered the US Open in June as his comeback tournament before ultimately choosing the World Championships as his return venue.
Rather than marking a successful return to form, this defeat leaves the Malaysian player with more questions than answers as he attempts to rebuild momentum in his professional career.
Looking ahead, Zii Jia will shift his focus to the upcoming Hong Kong Open scheduled for next month.
