National men’s singles ace Lee Zii Jia saw his comeback to international badminton end early after a first-round defeat to India’s Ayush Shetty at the Malaysia Open today.
The former world No. 1, now ranked 144 following an injury-hit season, went down 12-21, 17-21 to the world No. 22 in a 38-minute encounter at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
The 27-year-old Malaysian, who chose rehabilitation instead of undergoing back surgery in a bid to extend his career, played with visible caution, clearly wary of risking a recurrence of his injury.
Despite the early exit, Lee remains on track for a demanding run of tournaments, with appearances lined up at the India Open, Indonesia Masters and Thailand Masters in the coming weeks.
Earlier, Lee had indicated that the Malaysia Open would act as a benchmark to assess his physical condition ahead of the packed schedule.
Throughout his career, he has captured six World Tour titles, highlighted by his triumph at the Australia Open last year. He is also a former All England champion, having claimed the prestigious title in 2021, and secured a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s only other men’s singles representative in the tournament, Leong Jun Hao, is set to begin his campaign tomorrow against China’s Wang Zheng Xing.
