KUALA LUMPUR: The Kumamoto Masters, starting tomorrow in Japan, will be a crucial tournament for Lee Zii Jia as he aims to secure a spot in the World Tour Finals (WTF) in Hangzhou from Dec 11-15. The World No. 7 lost valuable points after pulling out of last month’s Denmark Open, a Super 750 event, due to an ankle injury. Now, he needs a strong performance in Kumamoto to keep his WTF hopes alive.
In the first round, Zii Jia could face fellow Malaysian, World No. 49 Justin Hoh, if Hoh advances through the qualifiers. Should Zii Jia progress, his second-round opponent may be China’s Weng Hong Yang, an inconsistent but talented player yet to fulfill his potential on the global stage. Hong Yang, currently ranked No. 21, has drawn comparisons to two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan but has struggled to meet such expectations. However, he made a breakthrough by clinching his first Super 1000 title at the China Open in September.
Zii Jia and Hong Yang are tied 3-3 in their head-to-head record, setting up a potentially close battle. If Zii Jia has recovered sufficiently from his injury and can endure a lengthy match, he stands a chance to edge out Hong Yang for a quarter-final spot.
In the quarter-finals, Zii Jia might face Indonesian World No. 6 Jonatan Christie, a win that could take him to the semi-finals for the first time since his bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August.
Currently ranked No. 5 in the world tour standings, Zii Jia is under pressure as Korea Masters champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand is expected to surpass him in the updated rankings tomorrow. This adds extra motivation for Zii Jia to secure a top-four finish in Kumamoto to solidify his WTF qualification.
Meanwhile, two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark is preparing for his Kumamoto Masters campaign, having arrived early and participated in the Bdmntn-XL Invitational, a mixed team event in Jakarta from Oct 31-Nov 3, to show he’s fully recovered from the illness that led him to withdraw from the Denmark Open. Axelsen faces Taiwan’s Wang Tzu Wei in his opening round.
Another Malaysian, Leong Jun Hao, will also compete in Kumamoto, facing a challenging first-round matchup against Paris Olympics semi-finalist Lakshya Sen of India.
