KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian men’s singles star Lee Zii Jia faces a race against time to recover for next month’s Super 1000 Malaysia Open following a right ankle ligament injury sustained at the recent World Tour Finals in Hangzhou.
In an official statement, his professional team, Team LZJ confirmed today that the injury, diagnosed after scans in China and Malaysia, is “manageable” but will require careful monitoring.
“The team’s priority is to get Zii Jia back to full health and peak physical condition before he returns to the court,” the statement read.
For context, 26-year-old Zii Jia was set to qualify for the World Tour Finals semi-finals, before he was forced to retire in his third and final Group A match against China’s Li Shi Feng. Zii Jia was leading 22-20, 15-11 when he threw in the towel.
Notably, ligament injuries can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to heal, depending on severity.
This raises concerns about Zii Jia’s participation in the season-opening Malaysia Open, scheduled from January 7 to 12 at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
Official Injury Update.#DareToDream #OwnYourAttitude #BeyondTheLimit #ShuttleHard pic.twitter.com/L8p3RpFJni
— Team LZJ (@TeamLZJ) December 15, 2024
“His training programme and tournament plan for the upcoming season will be based on close examination of the team and medical advice,” the statement added.
The Malaysia Open is a crucial tournament for Zii Jia, offering significant ranking points and a chance to perform in front of home fans. However, his long-term fitness remains the team’s primary concern.
The announcement comes at a crucial juncture for the shuttler, who is expected to start the new season with a new coach after it was confirmed earlier that he will no longer continue under Wong Tat Meng. — December 15, 2024