Lee Zii Jia will press on with his search for form at the Indonesia Masters, which begins on Wednesday, while national teammate Leong Jun Hao has been forced to withdraw from the Super 500 tournament due to influenza.
Zii Jia Eyes Turnaround After Slow Start
The former world champion, who recently made his competitive return at the Malaysia Open following a lengthy back injury layoff, is eager to halt a run of opening-round exits. Zii Jia suffered early defeats in Kuala Lumpur and again at last week’s India Open, and will be hoping Jakarta brings a change in fortunes.
Currently ranked world No. 119, Zii Jia faces a stern first-round test against India’s H.S. Prannoy, the world No. 9. The Malaysian trails their head-to-head record 2–1, adding extra intrigue to the clash.
Jun Hao Ruled Out by Illness
National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen confirmed that Jun Hao would not be taking part after falling ill.
“Jun Hao was down with influenza and unfortunately didn’t recover in time to prepare thoroughly for the event. Therefore, we decided to pull him out,” said Jonassen.
Justin Hoh Boosted by Antonsen Training
Elsewhere in the men’s singles, world No. 39 Justin Hoh is aiming for a stronger showing after a first-round exit in India. He will open his campaign against China’s Wang Zheng Xing (world No. 29), whom he leads 1–0 in previous meetings.
Justin’s confidence has been lifted by recent training sessions with Danish star Anders Antonsen, who stayed on in Kuala Lumpur to train at the Academy Badminton Malaysia after withdrawing from the India Open.
“Antonsen played match practice sessions with Justin and Eogene Ewe. He did exercises and played shorter games with most of our junior and senior players,” Jonassen added.
Draw Opens Up After Key Withdrawals
The men’s singles draw has widened following the withdrawals of Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn (world No. 2) and Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie (world No. 4), potentially easing the path for several contenders.
Women’s Singles and Other Withdrawals
In the women’s singles, K. Letshanaa (world No. 42) begins her 2026 season against Taiwan’s Wen Chi Hsu, while Wong Ling Ching (No. 43) will contest the qualifying rounds against Japan’s Kaoru Sugiyama.
The tournament has also been hit by further withdrawals, including men’s doubles pair Wan Arif Junaidi–Yap Roy King due to Roy King’s ankle injury, and top-seeded mixed doubles duo Feng Yan Zhe–Huang Dong Ping.
As the Indonesia Masters gets underway, Malaysian fans will be watching closely to see if Zii Jia can spark a revival and take advantage of an increasingly open draw in Jakarta.
