Zii Jia could spring surprises in WTF in Hangzhou, says coach
Lee Zii Jia could spring surprises in the World Tour Finals (WTF) in Hangzhou, China, according to a coach, by upstaging the favorites.
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ZII JIA COULD SPRING SURPRISES IN HANGZHOU JUST LIKE IN PARIS GAMES: COACH
Zii Jia could spring surprises in Hangzhou on Wednesday the way he did in the Paris Games, says coach Rashid Sidek.
Furthermore, the former national mentor cited the Malaysian world No.8’s bronze medal in the Paris Games in August.
Moreover, Sidek desribed Zii Jia as “dangerous” just as the spotlight goes to No.2 seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark and world No.1 Shi Yiu Qi of China.
“Zii Jia is very dangerous when he is not seen as a contender. He showed his quality at the Paris Olympics, and he will be in good position in Hangzhou,” the coach said.
“It’s all about staying focused and performing consistently,” he added.
The Malaysian boosted his chances after former world No.1 Axelsen pulled out due to lingering pain on his left foot.
MALAYSIA’S TOP SHUTTLER IN GROUP A WITH ANTONSEN, FENG, CHOU
Moreover, Malaysia’s top men’s singles shuttler is bunched in Group A with Antonsen, world No.6 Shi Feng, and No.9 Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei.
Furthermore, Group B is composed of Yu Qi, No.4 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, No.5 Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, and No.7 Kodai Naraoka of Japan.
Sidek aclknowledges that Zii Jia is in a “tough group” that he has to overcome.
“The focus is on players like Antonsen and Yu Qi. Another Chinese shuttler, Li Shi Feng, could also benefit from homeground advantage,” the coach said.
“It’s a tough group, but advancing from here would further boost his confidence going into the knockout stage,” he added.
‘SEASONED’ TIEN CHEN DRAWN AS ZII JIA’S OPENING MATCH; COACH LIKES CHANCES
Furthermore, a “seasoned” Tien Chen was drawn as Zii Jia’s opening match in Hangzhou.
Moreover, Sidek continues to like the world No.8’s chances to go on deep run.
“Tien Chen is a seasoned player, but Zii Jia has been doing well against him this year,” the coach said.
“Let’s not forget that Zii Jia has beaten seven of the other qualifiers at some point in his career. I see a good start on Wednesday,” he added.
Additionally, Zii Jia hopes to end the year with a bang not just for him but for his coach Wong Tat Meng.
Tat Meng is expected to finish his tenure as Zii Jia’s coach on a high as the year ends.
