KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian professional singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia is set to compete at the United States Open after opting out of the Malaysia Masters, which gets underway today.
The development was confirmed by the United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur through a post on its official Facebook page after hosting Zii Jia and his team ahead of their departure to Los Angeles.
“From Kuala Lumpur to Los Angeles. We were delighted to welcome Zii Jia and his team to the US Embassy today as they prepare for their tournament in Los Angeles,” the embassy said in the statement.
The visit was also viewed as symbolic, marking the early stages of Zii Jia’s journey towards Los Angeles, the host city for the 2028 Olympic Games (LA28).
Zii Jia had previously declined a late opportunity to feature in the Malaysia Masters qualifying rounds despite several withdrawals from the tournament.
The world number 62 is still working towards regaining his best form after struggling with fitness and consistency issues following an injury setback.
He only resumed full training around two weeks before the Thomas Cup in Horsens, Denmark, which was held from April 24 to May 3.
Despite concerns over his condition, Zii Jia delivered encouraging performances in Denmark, winning all three of his matches for the national squad.
Last week, he continued his comeback campaign at the Thailand Open, where he began from the qualifying rounds before suffering a first-round defeat in the main draw to Israeli player Daniil Dubovenko. – May 19, 2026