KUALA LUMPUR: A resurgent Goh Jin Wei is hoping to make the most of her late inclusion in the Petronas Malaysia Open next month and start her season on a bright note.
Jin Wei was originally the second player on the reserve list but has now made the main draw following the withdrawals of Iris Wang (United States) and Supanida Katethong (Thailand).
It is set to be Jin Wei's fourth appearance at the Malaysia Open - a Super 1000 event - which is set to be held on Jan 10-15 at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
Jin Wei's inclusion saved the host the blushes of not having a single representative in the women's singles event.
The world No 33 is set to play German Yvonne Li in the first round. A win will set her up for a second round encounter clash with South Korea ace An Se Young.
Jin Wei is looking forward to competing at her home event.
"I'm very excited because it's been four years since I last competed at the Malaysia Open," said Jin Wei, a two-time quarter-finalist
"I never thought I could get in because initially I was only the second alternate. So, I can certainly count myself lucky and it makes me cherish this opportunity even more.
"I look forward to performing in front of my home fans and want to put up a good show for them."
Jin Wei had last September retired from the sport due to a stomach ailment but later made a comeback as her health progressively improved.
Jin Wei was, however, slapped with a two-year ban in January for prematurely withdrawing from the national squad.
But the sanction was eventually lifted after the intervention of then-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
She has been impressive since then, making it to the quarterfinals eight times as well as a run to the final of the Vietnam Open.
"Hopefully I can keep the momentum going. Starting this year, every tournament is becoming even more important to me as the Olympic qualifying (process) starts soon," said Jin Wei.
"For this Malaysia Open, I don't really have a specific target in terms of results. But it's a goal of mine to become a better player than I was during the last tournament.
"I just want to keep progressing. Despite my health concerns, I know there's no limit to what I can achieve."
Jin Wei continues to be on medication to manage her medical condition.