Zii Jia heads for marathon four-week in bid to revive world ranking

KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Zii Jia is preparing for one of the most demanding stretches of his career as he attempts to rebuild momentum and credibility.

The 27-year-old will compete at the Malaysia Open from Jan 6–11, followed by the India Open, Indonesia Masters and Thailand Masters in successive weeks with minimal recovery time.

His return to the Malaysia Open has already drawn strong attention, but the wider plan became clearer when his name also appeared on the Thailand Masters entry list published on Dec 26.

The intention is obvious: play consistently, collect points, and restore his position after an interrupted season that left him sitting at world No. 144.

Last year's injuries and sporadic appearances disrupted rhythm and confidence, and the ranking slide highlighted how quickly opportunities disappear when a player cannot compete regularly.

The early part of this run will be unforgiving. The Malaysia Open (Super 1000) and India Open (Super 750) feature full-strength fields, meaning difficult opponents from the opening round.

These matches will immediately reveal whether Zii Jia is physically ready to handle the intensity that comes with competing against the top-ranked players on the World Tour.

More realistic openings may surface in the Indonesia Masters (Super 500) and Thailand Masters (Super 300), where draws are often slightly lighter.

His readiness, however, depends largely on how well his body recovers week to week.

Zii Jia activated his protected ranking when he returned at the Hong Kong Open in September, allowing him to enter World Tour tournaments across all levels.

That privilege lasts six months and is expected to end after the All England in early March, at which point his tournament entries will depend entirely on his real-time ranking.

This is why the upcoming tournaments carry heightened importance. Without meaningful progress, he risks losing access to main draws and facing qualification rounds or lower-tier events more frequently.

There is encouragement, nonetheless. Even early exits provide ranking points, and a steady collection could lift him back into the top 100 by early February if results fall his way.

A deeper run or two would accelerate that recovery and possibly push him towards the top 50, restoring greater flexibility in scheduling.

Yet the real benchmark remains the top 32 — the threshold that typically ensures regular access to the higher-tier World Tour tournaments.

For now, the task is straightforward but demanding: four tournaments in four weeks, the need to stay healthy, and the responsibility to convert opportunities into results.

If Zii Jia manages that balance, his ranking should begin moving forward again — precisely when his protected-ranking safety net begins to disappear.