KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 2 Anders Antonsen has built a strong bond with Malaysia and Lee Zii Jia, frequently making the country his favourite training destination.
However, he will not have Zii Jia's company at the Malaysia Open as the world No. 6 has withdrawn from the Super 1000 event due to a right ankle injury.
Antonsen, who sympathised with his close friend, wished him a speedy recovery.
Zii Jia sustained the injury during a group match against China's Li Shi Feng at the World Tour Finals (WTF) on Dec 13.
He had to withdraw from the tournament in Hangzhou despite already qualifying for the semi-finals.
"Zii Jia would have loved to play on home soil," Antonsen said after training at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara today.
"It's a shame he got injured during the WTF.
"He is a close friend, and I hope to see him back in action soon."
Antonsen, the defending champion at the Malaysia Open, frequently trains at ABM due to the excellent facilities, making it his base before tournaments in Asia.
"The facilities here are great. The hall is nice, and it's not easy to find such good conditions while travelling in Asia. I really appreciate coming here," he said.
"There are also some good players here, and I occasionally spar with them."
Zii Jia was the last player to beat Antonsen in Malaysia, claiming victory in the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 last year.
Zii Jia also defeated Antonsen at the 2024 Paris Olympics en route to winning the bronze medal and at the WTF.
Antonsen hopes for a rematch with Zii Jia, possibly at the All England in March, as the Malaysian may also skip the India Open (Jan 14-19) and the Indonesia Masters (Jan 21-26).