KUCHING: National men’s singles shuttler, Lee Zii Jia, was forced to retire from his Thailand Masters campaign after sustaining an injury during his quarter-finals match against Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan today.
Returning with confidence following his recent recovery, the world No. 74 made a strong start against the rising Indonesian athlete, taking the opening game comfortably at 21-10.
However, momentum shifted in the second game as Alwi took control of the game. Zii Jia showed resilience by fighting back from a 5-15 deficit to narrow the gap to 15-17.
Misfortune struck soon after when a misstep while receiving a shot caused Zii Jia to suffer an injury, leaving him visibly in discomfort on court.
Despite attempting to continue, the Malaysian eventually went down 15-21, ending his challenge in the tournament before he officially announced his retirement from the match.
The setback marks Zii Jia’s third World Tour exit of the year since returning from a recurring back and left ankle injury that sidelined him for much of the 2025 season.
A detailed medical assessment is expected to be conducted to determine the extent of the latest injury.
