PETALING JAYA: Former All England champion Lee Zii Jia failed to qualify for the main draw of the Orleans Masters in France today.
The 27-year-old fell 21-18, 21-14 to China’s Dong Tian Yao after beating India’s S Subramaniam 21-12, 21-18 in the qualifying round.
The result capped another difficult week for the world No 86 Zii Jia, who had a six-month injury layoff last year after opting for physiotherapy instead of surgery for his back injury.
The independent shuttler qualified for the Swiss Open last week but fell in the first round to Singapore’s Jason Teh.
Zii Jia left the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in 2022 to become a professional player.
However, he will be part of Malaysia’s 2026 Thomas Cup squad after reaching an agreement with BAM.