Lee Zii Jia's tough road to the top: It's all about consistency
The Malaysian men's singles player jumped to No. 6 in the world rankings to reach a new career-high after clinching the Asia Championship title. "He is still far from unlocking his true ability," says his coach ahead of Thomas Cup showdown.
Badminton
Lee Zii Jia has seen it all, from the highs of winning badminton's most prestigious All England Open crown, to the lows of facing a ban from competing after his decision to quit the national team.
But the Malaysian is now enjoying a good run of form that saw him clinch the 2022 Asia Championship crown in Manila, which has allowed him to jump to No. 6 in world rankings and reach a new career-high.
It is a much-needed boost for the 24-year-old that comes just as Malaysia prepare for the upcoming Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Thailand which gets underway on Sunday (8 May).
READ: BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2022: Preview, schedule, and stars to watch in Bangkok
Following the success in the Philippines, Lee has yet to reach his peak, his coach Indra Wijaya told The New Straits Times.
"He is still far from unlocking his true ability, which will come in time with hard work. There are some aspects to his game that still need maturing." - Coach Indra Wijaya to The New Straits Times.
Consistency is key
Since turning independent, Lee has been a lot more selective about the tournaments that he participates in. His first on-court outing this season saw him lead Malaysia to the Asia Team Championships title in February.
He then made his World Tour debut at the German Open before heading to Birmingham with the hopes of defending his All England Open title. On both occasions his campaign ended in the semi-finals.
Lee was meant to play in the Korea Open but pulled out of the event, a move that seems to have paid dividends after he clinched the Asia Championships title in Manila, defeating Indonesia's Jonatan Christie in straight games.
Lee's ability to perform well in most of his outings has earned him praise by his coach, who shared that they are working together to ensure that he can play high-level badminton consistently.
"It's about consistency. A great player is a player who plays top level badminton consistently," - Coach Indra Wijaya to The New Straits Times.
"I have mentioned that there is very little to separate the top five or 10 players in the world right now. Zii Jia played really well at the All England yet still lost to Lakshya Sen (India) in the semi-finals. And Lakshya then lost to Viktor (Axelsen) in the final" Wijaya added.
Lee Zii Jia out to end three-decade wait
The last time Malaysia won the Thomas Cup was 1992 when they hosted that edition of the tournament.
The nation will now look to Lee and the rest of the Malaysian squad to end their thirty-year wait for the trophy to return to Kuala Lumpur.
At the last edition of the event, Malaysia's hopes were dashed by eventual winners Indonesia in the quarter-finals, but unlike the last edition, this time around the team will be captained by Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists Aaron Chia.
Perhaps without the burden of being team captain, Lee might be free from the weight of responsibility and able to play to his full potential.
Malaysia are in Group D, along with Japan, England and the United States, with the top two nations qualifying to the quarter-finals. The South East Asian nation begins its campaign against England on Monday (9 May).
Lee will surely be aiming for a consistent outing in Bangkok, as he kicks things off as the first singles player for Malaysia, which begin their campaign to wrestle back the Thomas Cup.