KUALA LUMPUR: A subdued Lee Zii Jia made a quiet exit from the World Championships in Paris on Monday, underlining just how far the independent shuttler remains from rediscovering his old form.
The world No. 52, rusty after five months out, looked slow and hesitant as his trademark smashes and sharp attacking play deserted him.
South Korea‘s world No. 38 Jeon Hyeok Jin capitalised to claim a 21-17, 21-11 win in just 41 minutes at the Adidas Arena.
Yet the 27-year-old was relieved that the right ankle injury which sidelined him for almost half a year held up throughout the match.
“I am happy to complete the first match without any pain or injuries — that’s the most important thing for me. The next target is to find back my tournament feeling,” said Zii Jia.
The former All England champion admitted that dealing with pressure and attention remains part of his career.
“It’s something I can’t avoid, so I just have to face it. I don’t really care much about the pressure,” he added.
Zii Jia described the most difficult part of his recovery as the middle stage, when frustration mounted.
“Midway through my rehab, I was getting quite desperate to return to training and was curious why the healing process was so slow. The progress was very boring. That was the toughest part of the five months,” he recalled.
“It was my first experience dealing with this situation. I’m still learning, but I’m happy I got through it.”
He was equally blunt in his self-assessment, rating his performance in Paris just “five out of 10.”
“Especially from a physical and endurance point of view — that’s where I need to improve. That’s something I have to go back and work on with the team. Match feel is still okay, though, because I’ve had enough experience from tournaments before,” said Zii Jia.
The shuttler thanked fans for their support both in Paris and at home, while asking for patience as he works to rebuild his career.
“Be patient — not just for them, but for myself as well. I definitely have confidence I can get back to who I used to be,” he said.
It marked Zii Jia’s worst performance at a World Championships, but the silver lining was a pain-free outing for his ankle.
He will now turn his focus to the Hong Kong Open from September 9-14, hoping to pick up the pieces on the World Tour.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
