KUALA LUMPUR: With one title in the bag and four more tournaments to go, Lee Zii Jia is gearing up nicely for his gold medal assault at the Paris Olympics in July.
On Sunday, the 26-year-old men's singles shuttler sent out an early warning to the rest of his rivals when he clinched the Thailand Open crown in sizzling fashion at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok.
World No. 10 Zii Jia reclaimed the title he won in 2022, thrashing Hong Kong's Angus Ng 21-11, 21-10 in the final.
It was the former All England champion's first title since winning the Arctic Open crown last October.
It was also Zii Jia's first final appearance since the Denmark Open last year.
Speaking to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) after the prize-giving ceremony, Zii Jia stressed on the importance of staying injury-free in the coming months.
"I have four more to go before I begin preparing for the Olympics.
"It is important for me to stay injury-free but also to keep this momentum and stabilise my performance before the Olympics," said Zii Jia, who will compete again next week in the Malaysia Masters at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
For the record, Zii Jia has never won a World Tour title at home.
His best showing at the Malaysia Masters was reaching the semi-finals four years ago.
"I know many top players are not here (Bangkok), but winning the Thailand Open has really boosted my confidence.
"Next week, I have the Malaysia Masters at home. I hope I can maintain this confidence level and momentum until then," added Zii Jia, who is drawn to face China's Zhao Jun Peng in the opening round on Wednesday.
Leong Jun Hao, the other Malaysian men's singles player in the main draw, will play China's Lei Lan Xi in the first round.