KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian men's singles star Lee Zii Jia believes he is back at his best.
Following two poor outings at the World Championships in Tokyo in August, and the Japan Open last month, the 24-year-old looked to have found his touch when he reached the final of the Super 750 Denmark Open yesterday.
And while Zii Jia may have fallen short in his bid to clinch his maiden Denmark Open crown after going down 21-18, 16-21, 21-12 to China's Shi Yuqi in the final, the Malaysian is confident that he has regained his lost form.
The reigning Asian champion will also move up to a career high world No 2 tomorrow as the world ranking is completely unfrozen after two years due to Covid-19, and is expected to solidify his position for a spot in the season-ending World Tour Finals in Guangzhou in December.
Speaking to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) after his defeat in Odense, Zii Jia, who also won the Super 500 Thailand Open in May, said: "This is a great start for me again after my last two tournaments.
"I hope to maintain this form in my remaining two tournaments (French Open and Hylo Open)."
After suffering a first round exit in the Japan Open, Zii Jia bounced back in style to see off challenges from Mark Caljouw of the Netherlands, Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan, 2018 Asian Games champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia and former world champion, Loh Kean Yew of Singapore en route to the final in Denmark.
His fine showing bodes well ahead of his French Open campaign in Paris this week, where he will face Indonesia's Shesar Hiren Rhustavito in the first round on Wednesday.
Having been drawn in the top half, the Kedah-born Zii Jia is once again on a collision path with Jonatan, who he is expected to face in the last eight, and another possible encounter with Kean Yew in the semi-finals or world No 1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, who lost to the Singaporean in the quarter-finals last Friday.
Also in the fray is 2012 champion Liew Daren, who also happens to be Zii Jia's assistant coach and sparring partner.
Daren, 35, will open his campaign against India's Thomas Cup winner, H.S. Prannoy.
For the record, Zii Jia has never made it past the first round of the French Open, since making his debut in 2019. Last year, Zii Jia was sent packing by Kean Yew in the opening round.
Former world No 1 Lee Chong Wei was the last Malaysian men's singles to win the French Open title, which he achieved in the 2015 edition.
Other Malaysian shuttlers who will be looking for redemption in Paris after the Denmark Open include reigning men's doubles world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi and mixed doubles duo Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai, who all suffered semi-final defeats on Saturday.