Beloved national shuttler Lee Zii Jia (李梓嘉)’s campaign in the recent Denmark Open 2023 left many disappointed after he was forced to bow out, thanks to China’s shuttler Weng Hong Yang (翁泓阳). As many may know, this is the third time this year that Zii Jia has lost to Hong Yang.
While there might be some discord forming again about his performance, former coach Misbun Sidek believes there’s another reason for Zii Jia’s loss. According to Misbun Sidek, Lee Zii Jia met his match against Weng Hong Yang, because he has yet to learn how to adapt against left-handed players.
There’s no denying the dismal loss Zii Jia encountered against Weng Hong Yang, especially since his score came out to 12-21, 6-21 in 33 minutes. It was certainly a surprise given the fact that he’d swept out the rest of the competition before the Denmark Open final. But, former coach Misbun Sidek believes it has to do with both players’ playing style.
24-year-old Weng Hong Yang is famously known for playing left-handed, similar to Lee Chong Wei’s greatest rival and good friend, Lin Dan. Combined with his playing style, Hong Yang later earned himself the nickname “Little Lin Dan”. And just like the Chinese badminton legend, he seems keen on giving our Malaysian shuttler a run for his money.
“Zii Jia had played against all the right-handed players from the first round in Denmark but was stumped in the final against Hong Yang. He was uncomfortable throughout the match,” Misbun said in an interview with The Star. “Playing against a left-handed player is tricky. Lin Dan used to rule the world once. Zii Jia has to look at ways to counter players with this style of play.”
However, in spite of the loss, former coach Misbun has also expressed pride at the change in Lee Zii Jia’s recent performance. “Zii Jia is playing like how he used to play. We saw that at the tournament in Finland last week and also in Denmark. We hope he will continue to do well,” he stated.
Well, Lee Zii Jia has mentioned skipping the French Open after his loss, citing exhaustion. But, he has also praised Weng Hong Yang for his performance, and promised to keep up his consistency in his gameplay. We look forward to seeing what he’ll bring to the court after resting.
Sources: Free Malaysia Today, The Star, New Straits Times, Sin Chew Daily
