Jakarta: World No. 7, Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, is considering the 2024 Indonesia Open as the best venue to assess his true strength before competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On Tuesday, the World No. 7 secured a spot in the second round after defeating Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long 21-17, 21-16 in the first-round match of the 2024 Indonesia Open at Istora Senayan, Jakarta.
Highlights of Lee Zii Jia vs. Ng Ka Long in the 2024 Indonesia Open first round:
Lee, who is also the Thailand Open champion and Malaysia Masters runner-up, said that with the presence of the world’s top players in the Indonesia Open, which is a Super 1000 tournament, each match promises to be a tough challenge.
“This is a good test for me before the Olympics, with all the top players in the world here. No match is easy; every round will be a difficult one,” said Lee.
“Every match is a test for me to see if I can maintain consistent performance. It’s a positive challenge for me,” Lee told the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Meanwhile, Lee said he is not yet at his best due to a hamstring injury that caused him to withdraw from the Singapore Open last week.
“Honestly, I am not in my best condition. I only had a week for recovery, didn’t train much, and only did light exercises to maintain my physical fitness,” explained Lee.
Commenting on his match against Ng Ka Long, which was their fourth encounter this season, Lee admitted he entered the court with a lot of focus.
He noted that although he had won all three previous encounters, he remained cautious because Ng Ka Long is a really strong player.
“All players analyze their losses, and I believe Ka Long did as well, especially since his coach (Wong Choong Hann) was my former coach,” continued Lee.
The former Asian champion, coached by Wong Tat Meng, will face China’s Weng Hong Yang for a spot in the quarterfinals this Thursday.
