KUALA LUMPUR: A spate of withdrawals from next week's Kumamoto Masters has proved to be a blessing in disguise for independent shuttler Lee Zii Jia, who will now compete in the Super 500 tournament after all.
World No. 40 Zii Jia, who was the fourth reserve for the tournament, has moved into the qualifying rounds following the withdrawals of world No. 32 Leong Jun Hao, Denmark's world No. 3 Anders Antonsen, defending champion and world No. 18 Li Shi Feng, Singapore's world No. 11 Loh Kean Yew, Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu (No. 19) and India's Ayush Shetty (No. 20).
The former All England champion showed glimpses of his old form when he reached the Super 500 Arctic Open semi-finals, his best result since winning the 2024 Australia Open, last month.
