KUALA LUMPUR: Men's singles player, Leong Jun Hao, is ready to learn a thing or two from Lee Zii Jia ahead of the Thomas Cup opening match against Hong Kong in Chengdu, China, on Saturday.
World No. 37 Jun Hao, who fills the void left by world No. 18 Ng Tze Yong as the second singles, is slated to face Hong Kong's veteran Ng Ka Long.
Since he has never faced Ka Long before, Jun Hao is eager to seek advice from Zii Jia, who has defeated the 30-year-old thrice in seven encounters.
Zii Jia's advice can be crucial in helping Jun Hao devise the best strategy to defeat Ka Long and contribute points for the country.
"I haven't had the chance to discuss this with Zii Jia yet, but when he joins the team later, I will definitely ask him for advice. Perhaps he can assist me.
"I will also discuss with the coach and analyse Ka Long's playing style. I will make the best preparations, and of course, the goal is to help the team collect points," said the former Asian junior champion.
Zii Jia, who turned pro in 2022, did not join the centralised training camp that started last week at the Academy Badminton Malaysia because he had his own training programme arrangements with his coach, Wong Tat Meng.
In addition to Ka Long, Jun Hao also needs to be in his best form as he is expected to face world No. 4 Anders Antonsen in the final Group D match against Denmark on April 30.
Malaysia's second group tie against minnows Algeria is on Sunday.
Jun Hao considers the current squad to be fairly balanced and believes it is not impossible to end Malaysia's Thomas Cup drought since their last victory in 1992.
"This team is more balanced because we have several players who have played in previous Thomas Cups. We have the experience, we just need to give our best performance in each match," he said.
The other men's singles players in the squad are independent shuttler Cheam June Wei and former junior star Justin Hoh.