KUCHING: Patience and persistence have finally begun to pay dividends for Lee Zii Jia.
After months of battling injuries, searching for rhythm and rebuilding the game that once made him one of the world’s most feared shuttlers, the former world No. 2 is back where he has long believed he belongs – a World Tour semi-final.
The Malaysian produced one of his most assured performances since returning from injury to outclass Taiwan’s Wang Po Wei 21-15, 21-13 in just 34 minutes at the Canada Open in Markham on Friday, securing his first World Tour semi-final appearance since lifting the Australian Open title in June 2024.
More than a place in the last four, the victory offered the clearest indication yet that Zii Jia is beginning to rediscover the rhythm and identity that once propelled him to the summit of world badminton.
Against the tournament’s sixth seed, the world No. 60 looked composed from the outset.
Rather than forcing the pace, Zii Jia trusted his experience, controlling the tempo of the rallies and patiently waiting for opportunities to strike. Looking refreshed and moving freely around the court, he repeatedly turned defence into attack while preventing Po Wei from finding any sustained momentum.
It was another encouraging step in a tournament that has steadily gathered momentum for the Malaysian.
After progressing through the opening round following K. Srikanth’s first-game retirement – just a week after the Indian had beaten him in straight games at the US Open – Zii Jia has since produced successive straight-game victories over Taiwan’s Liao Jhuo Fu and Po Wei.
Standing between the Malaysian and a place in the final is Japan’s Riki Takei.
The pair met only once previously during the Australian Open qualifying rounds last month, where Zii Jia recovered from a game down to win 15-21, 21-17, 21-16. Takei enters the semi-finals after finishing runner-up at the China Masters Super 100 in May.
For a player who has spent much of the past year fighting to regain both his fitness and confidence, Canada has become more than just another tournament.
It is finally beginning to look like the comeback he has been working towards.
