KUALA LUMPUR: Wong Tat Meng praised Lee Zii Jia's performance and determination at the World Tour Finals (WTF), despite the shuttler falling short of delivering a perfect parting gift for his coach.
The WTF was Tat Meng's final assignment with the world No. 8, as the coach has chosen not to extend his contract, which ends on Dec 31.
Zii Jia's campaign ended in heartbreak after he sustained a right ankle injury during his final group match against China's world No. 6 Li Shi Feng on Friday.
The Malaysian had won the first game 22-20 and was leading 15-11 in the second when the injury occurred, costing him a spot in the semi-finals.
In earlier group matches, Zii Jia displayed stellar form, defeating world No. 2 Anders Antonsen and world No. 9 Chou Tien Chen in straight games.
Tat Meng, however, was effusive in his praise for Zii Jia's efforts, highlighting the progress made under his guidance.
"Zii Jia was playing his best badminton at the WTF before his injury. Even though the setback was unexpected, the benefits gained from these matches are invaluable and cannot be measured in monetary terms," Tat Meng posted on his social media.
"These matches prove that Zii Jia has shown tremendous growth in technique, mindset, faith and persistence.
"A shuttler faces many challenges, but these experiences strengthen you and build your fighting spirit and confidence.
"The indomitable spirit enables you to break through barriers and progress to a higher level."
Addressing Zii Jia directly, Tat Meng added: "You brought so many surprises in that match against Shi Feng! Once again, thank you for allowing me to prove my coaching abilities. "Keep going, and I look forward to witnessing more amazing performances from you in the future."
Tat Meng, who began coaching Zii Jia in July 2023, played a pivotal role in revitalising the shuttler's career.
Under his guidance, Zii Jia won an Olympic bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August, returned to the world's top 10 rankings and secured three World Tour titles — last year's Arctic Open and this year's Thailand Open and Australian Open.
The extent of Zii Jia's ankle injury is still unknown, with an update expected later today from his management team, Team LZJ.