KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s men’s singles player, Lee Zii Jia, fell short of claiming a home title today, but his commendable feat of reaching two consecutive finals within 14 days is a testament to his prowess.
In today’s Malaysia Masters final, Zii Jia battled fiercely against Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, despite grappling with cramps and pain.
Even amid discomfort in his leg during the second set, Zii Jia persevered, declining any notion of withdrawing from the match.
After an intense 63-minute clash, victory ultimately favoured Axelsen with a scoreline of 21-6, 20-22, 21-13, marking the Dane’s first title triumph of the year.
Although disappointed by the loss, Zii Jia’s achievement is noteworthy, especially considering his history of early exits on home turf.
“For me, there’s no significant change, I simply did what I needed to do for this match, and this is the result.
“Even if I were at my peak, there’s no guarantee I could defeat him because he’s an experienced player. I gave my all today, and although I’m not satisfied, I have to accept reality.
“Physically, there’s still room for improvement. Over the past two weeks, I’ve faced many matches and various opponents, so I’m still searching for my best form to compete at the top.
“I’m not saying I’m satisfied because I believe I can do better, but this is the reality I have to accept,” said Zii Jia.
The Kedah-born player also believes he is on the right track towards the Olympic Games in July after openly expressing confidence in clinching a gold medal in Paris.
His recent success as the Thailand Open champion last week and the runner-up at the Malaysia Masters today is expected to boost his world ranking to number eight.
At the same time, Zii Jia remains undecided on whether he will compete in next week’s Singapore Open and the Indonesia Open on June 4.
“For me, I’m still focused on achieving stable performance. Honestly, this isn’t the first time I’ve faced back-to-back finals like this.
“I need to continue observing my condition for the upcoming tournaments, especially how I perform. I still have three more tournaments ahead to test myself.
“As of now, no decision has been made. My team needs to assess my condition first. I need to rest today, and if there are any changes, my team will inform later,” he added.
Meanwhile, Axelsen rejoiced in breaking his prolonged title drought, overcoming a previous struggle with a foot injury.
His victory in the tournament also etched another milestone in his career, as he became the first European to secure the men’s singles title at the Malaysia Masters twice, having first clinched it in 2018.
Nonetheless, it was no easy feat, considering he had to face Zii Jia, who had solid local support behind him.
“All credit to him (Zii Jia) though, he put me under a lot of pressure along with the thousands of fans here. I couldn’t even hear myself, let alone my coach.
“It was a great experience for me to play here. It’s not easy with the entire Malaysia against you.
“I know how it is and it was an amazing experience for me to play here. I envy Zii Jia and all the Malaysian players a little bit because it’s definitely a unique support,” said Axelsen. – May 26, 2024
