BANGKOK, May 8 — In terms of world rankings and achievements, Lee Zii Jia is miles ahead of Toby Penty but the Malaysian will not take him lightly if they meet in the Malaysia-England Thomas Cup Group D tie here tomorrow.
The world number six Zii Jia said as the first singles player, he would definitely feel the pressure to deliver the first point for Malaysia when he takes to the court at the Impact Arena.
Zii Jia expects a tough fight from the 29-year-old Toby, who is ranked 53rd in the world and has yet to meet Zii Jia in competitions.
“Of course, playing as the first singles against a lower-ranked player does come with pressure, but I have to shoulder that responsibility,” he told reporters after a training session here yesterday.
The newly crowned Asian champion hopes that his victory at the Muntinlupan Sports Complex in Manila last week would spur him to help Malaysia end their 30-year title drought in the Thomas Cup.
The 2021 All England champion said his triumph at the 2022 Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) in the Philippines had greatly boosted his confidence for the world men’s team event in Thailand.
The 24-year-old Zii Jia said he had sufficient rest after the BAC and was satisfied with his preparations for the Thomas Cup.
Asked on the condition at Impact Arena, Zii Jia said it is a better venue than the Muntinlupan Sports Complex, which he described as very hot.
Zii Jia won the BAC title after beating Indonesian Jonatan Christie 21-17, 23-21 in a 45-minute final.
He is the sixth Malaysian to win the Asian title, after Teh Kew San (1962), Tan Aik Mong (1971), Rashid Sidek (1991, 1992), Foo Kok Keong (1994) and Datuk Lee Chong Wei (2016).
Meanwhile, Badminton Association of Malaysia secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh said Malaysia’s preparations for both the Thomas and Uber Cups went smoothly.
He said the national squads had undergone two COVID-19 tests since their arrival here on May 2 and there were no positive cases.
