Lee Zii Jia Likely to Drop Out of Top 8 in Year-End Finals Rankings, Needs to Play in Australian Open

Jayce September 6, 2024 5 0

Malaysia’s top men’s singles player, Lee Zii Jia, is expected to drop out of the top 8 in the Guangzhou year-end finals rankings next week. To qualify for this season-ending event, he needs to participate in the Australian Open from November 15 to 20 to accumulate more points.

According to the New Straits Times, Lee Zii Jia, currently ranked 7th in the BWF year-end finals rankings, might fall out of the top 8 after being knocked out in the first round of the French Open and withdrawing from the ongoing German Hylo Open. This could lead to him missing the qualification for the year-end finals.

However, the 24-year-old Malaysian ace still has a chance to qualify for the finals in Guangzhou, set to take place from December 14 to 18. To secure his spot, he must compete in the Australian Super 300 tournament. Only the top 8 players or pairs in the rankings after the Australian Open will qualify for the year-end finals.

Lee Zii Jia, anticipated to drop to 9th place, will face a competition with China’s Lu Guangzu for the 8th spot, with both players potentially meeting in the Australian Open round of 16.

Seeded as the top seed in the Australian Open, Lee Zii Jia will face a qualifier in the first round. Other Malaysian men’s singles players participating in Sydney include Liew Daren and Ng Tze Yong, while independent players Chong Wei Feng and Soong Joo Ven will start from the qualifying rounds.

So far, the Malaysian team has secured full quotas in three doubles events, including men’s doubles world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi; French Open women’s doubles champions Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, Vivian Hoo and Lim Chiew Sien; and mixed doubles pairs Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie, Chan Peng Soon and Cheah Yee See.