In men’s singles badminton, Malaysian shuttler Lee Zii Jia currently holds the world No. 2 ranking.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) updated its rankings yesterday (Oct. 25) and Lee moved up one position as a result of his outstanding finals performance at the Denmark Open on Oct. 23.
He came in second place and lost to China’s Shi Yu Qi in the championship match, 18-21, 21-16, and 12-21.
Despite losing the championship, Stadium Astro reported that Lee was pleased with his performance in Denmark and would be confident in replicating it in the French Open, which starts this week.
The 24-year-old Malaysian is currently just one position behind the reigning world champion, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, in the BWF rankings.
With 92,528 points accrued over 27 events, Lee, who left the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and turned professional in January, passed Anders Antonsen, the former world number three and countryman of Axelson.
Injuries have forced Antonsen to withdraw from the rest of the season, according to Stadium Astro, allowing Lee a chance to clinch a berth in the second round of the forthcoming French Open and Hylo Open.
Today (Oct. 26) in Paris, the professional shuttler will face Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia.
If he performs, Lee will be up for a last-eight clash against Indonesia’s seventh-seed Jonatan Christie, and he might also run against Shi or Axelsen in the semifinals.
The victory over Axelson at the All England Open last year made Lee a household name.
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