KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will be without its biggest men’s singles name at home when the Malaysia Masters takes place in Bukit Jalil from May 19–24, after Lee Zii Jia failed to secure a place in the main draw.
The former All England champion and Olympic bronze medallist has missed the cut due to his current world ranking of 83, leaving him listed only as the 11th reserve for the Super 500 event.
Zii Jia’s drop in the rankings has significantly affected his participation on the BWF World Tour, with the Malaysian unable to gain direct entry into recent Super 750 and Super 1000 tournaments, in addition to struggling for places even at Super 500 level.
Earlier this year, he was able to compete at the Super 1000 Malaysia Open using a protected ranking of world number nine, which had been frozen during his injury lay-off.
However, once that protection expired, he failed to qualify for subsequent top-tier events, including the All England in March.
National singles coach Liew Daren said the current ranking situation has made tournament planning more difficult, with entry into higher-level competitions now increasingly restricted.
“Around the 80s, it was very difficult even to get into Super 300 or Super 500 events. We had plans, but he didn’t make the cut for the Malaysia Masters,” said Daren.
“His ranking is far off at the moment, so we have to carefully select the tournaments he can enter and build from there. The aim is to get him back into the top 30.”
The ranking slide has also forced Zii Jia into qualifying rounds in recent tournaments, including the Swiss Open and Orleans Masters, where he exited early in Basel and failed to progress in the Orleans qualifiers.
His immediate target is to climb back into the world’s top 30 following the Thomas Cup campaign, which would restore his direct entry into Super 500, Super 750 and Super 1000 events.
In his absence, Malaysian interest in the men’s singles draw at the Malaysia Masters was led by Leong Jun Hao world number 23, Justin Hoh world number 40, and Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin world number 52. – April 13, 2026