KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttler Lee Zii Jia is set to return to the World Tour at the Kumamoto Masters on Nov 12-17 where he could meet compatriot Justin Hoh in an interesting clash.
The World No. 7 skipped the Denmark Open two weeks ago due to an ankle injury.
World No. 49 Justin, eliminated in the first round of the Korea Masters in Iksan City today, will play in the qualifying rounds of the Kumamoto Masters against world No. 36 Jeon Hyeok Jin of South Korea. Victory should pit him against Jason Gunawan of Hong Kong.
Justin's goal is to win his two qualifying matches, proceed to the main draw for his first meeting against Zii Jia in a competition.
Zi Jia, despite winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August, has been struggling with fitness as he pushes for a place in the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou on Dec 11-15.
While Zii Jia should beat Justin, he is likely to face a tough second round clash against China Open winner Weng Hong Yang. Their head to head stands at 3-3 but the Malaysian should be optimistic after having beaten world No. 21 Hong Yang in his last two meetings.
Another Malaysian, Leong Jun Hao, will be looking for redemption after losing in the first round in his last three tournaments.
However, the world No. 30 faces an uphill task as he will have to play Paris Olympics semi-finalist Lakshya Sen of India in the Kumamoto Masters first round.