KUALA LUMPUR: With less than two months before the Paris Olympics, top shuttlers are beginning to feel the heat.
Former international Rashid Sidek believes now is the time for players like Lee Zii Jia to rise to the occasion and catch everyone by surprise.
Looking at the last three tournaments, including the ongoing Super 750 Singapore Open, none of the clear favourites have convincingly stood out.
Despite winning a tournament or two, these players have found it difficult to sustain the intensity and momentum in tournaments.
World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen won the Malaysia Masters title last week but has conceded a walkover in the semi-finals of the Singapore Open.
His Danish compatriot and world No. 4 Anders Antonsen has failed to clear the quarter-final stage in all competitions since he was crowned European champion in April.
Then there is the high-flying world No. 3 Jonatan Christie, who, after skipping two tournaments (the Thailand Open and the Malaysia Masters), seems to have run out of steam.
If anything, world No. 9 Zii Jia seems to be in much better shape than his more fancied rivals.
After inspiring Malaysia to their first Thomas Cup semi-final in eight years last month, the 26-year-old went on to reach two back-to-back World Tour finals, winning one (the Thailand Open).
However, the independent shuttler skipped the Singapore Open due to a hamstring injury.
Regardless, Zii Jia still has the Indonesia Open next week and the Australian Open after that to stay in the hunt for a seeded spot at the Olympics.
"I blame this on tournament fatigue and too much attention on the players," said Rashid, a bronze medallist at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
"The game has changed so much over the years. Today, it's an open affair.
"Even for a player like Axelsen, trying to win back-to-back titles is no easy feat.
"With so little time left, players are focused on increasing their intensity and quality for the Olympics.
"At the same time, nobody wants to lose in the first or second round of a tournament, especially to lower-ranked opponents; it's all the pressure," added Rashid, who tipped Zii Jia as one of the dark horses in Paris.
According to Rashid, the only thing that can let Zii Jia down is the shuttler's own expectations.
"It's not wrong to have your targets, but stay focused. No need to announce anything to anyone.
"The Olympics are always full of surprises. Previously, Ji Xinpeng (China) came out of nowhere to win gold (2000), and at the last edition, Guatemala's Kevin Cordón reached the semi-finals.
"Badminton is a sport that can sometimes be determined by a player's form on the day. You may be world No. 1, but if things do not work out for you on the day, they simply don't," Rashid explained.
For the Indonesia Open, which starts on Tuesday, Zii Jia is drawn to face France's Christo Popov in the first round and is slated to take on Hangzhou Asian Games champion Li Shi Feng of China in the second.
Other notable players in the bottom half of the draw include Jonatan, Japan's Kodai Naraoka, and world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi of China.