Source:REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
[Saba Sports News] 27-year-old Lee Zii Jia, after recovering from a foot injury, is working hard to make up for lost time. Despite tremendous effort, he is still struggling on the international stage. On Tuesday this week, in the second round of qualifying at the Orléans Masters in France, he fell 18–21, 14–21 to Chinese player Dong Tianyao in just 36 minutes and failed to reach the main draw. Because he missed most of last season due to the foot injury, Lee’s world ranking has slipped to No. 84. That meant he had to start this event in the qualifying rounds.
Lee’s former coach Tat Meng Wong said he hopes Lee can regain his form while avoiding putting too much pressure on himself. Wong revealed that dropping from the top and having to start from qualifying is very difficult for Lee. At the same time, other young players are progressing rapidly. From recent matches, it feels like Lee is hitting every shot too hard—sometimes even overexerting. He is fighting, but his movement isn’t agile enough. Wong said the key to change is to clear his mind: come out of the slump with a clear mentality and play with confidence.
The editor believes Lee’s poor form is the result of multiple overlapping factors—injury, psychology, playing style, and the systematic nature of his training. Whether he can return to the top will depend on his recovery progress, mental adjustment, and ability to rebuild his tactics.