PETALING JAYA: Familiar foes are expected to push men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia to the brink of exhaustion in the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, starting tomorrow.
But coach Wong Tat Meng wants Zii Jia to persevere. The Finals is the duo’s last tournament together before they part ways and Zii Jia is hoping to end it in style.
Zii Jia is in Group A with Anders Antonsen of Denmark, Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan, and China’s Li Shifeng.
The world No. 8 Zii Jia has played with Antonsen nine times with the Dane holding the advantage of winning five times.
In the recent meeting though, Zii Jia beat Antonsen in the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympic Games.
The Malaysian went on to win a bronze medal.
Tough rivals: (clockwise from top left) Lee Zii Jia will face Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen and China’s Li Shifeng in Group A.
He also has played 10 times against Tien-chen but their record stands at 5-5 with Zii Jia having triumphed at their latest meeting in the Thailand Open.
The match against Shifeng will probably be the hardest. He has only played with the Chinese five times with the world No. 6 having a better record of winning thrice, including his recent win at the French Open.
Shifeng is a last minute replacement for two-time Olympic Games champion Viktor Axelsen, who withdrew due to a foot injury.
Only the top two will make it to the semi-finals.
Tat Meng said every match will be like a final.
“Zii Jia has played against them so many times, and should know everything about his opponents. He has to treat every match like a final,” said Tat Meng.
“Zii Jia’s performance on the day will determine his winning rate. As they all know each other’s game so well, Zii Jia has to be mentally, and physically prepared to be exhausted.”
Mental game will be the key for sure, as Zii Jia has proven to be his worst enemy in the past, giving in to erratic form.
“Zii Jia has to keep his mindset in check and should not let past victories or defeats weigh him down,” said Tat Meng.
“Every win is an experience, not a burden; every loss is a lesson, not a setback.
“Each match is a fresh challenge and a new chance to prove his worth. I want Zii Jia to trust in himself – only with a steady mindset can he bring out his best performance.”
