Zii Jia, who is currently ranked world No 103 because of his long absence from the World Tour circuit last year, showed glimpses of his past form as he beat India’s world No 35 shuttler HS Prannoy 21-19, 21-11 in 35 minutes at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta.

The Paris Olympics bronze medallist, who was once world No 2, will meet Taiwan’s Lee Chia Hao or Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul of Thailand in the next round.

Zii Jia had lost in the opening rounds of the Malaysia Open two weeks ago and the India Open last week to opponents he had beaten easily in the past.

He had opted for physiotherapy instead of a surgery for his back injury to preserve his career.

The former All England champion, who left the Badminton Association of Malaysia in 2022 to go professional, is facing an uphill battle to make it back to the top level.