Apart from fatigue and pressure from competing continuously over the past three weeks, Lee Zii Jia’s participation plans were further disrupted by a canceled flight. Originally scheduled to fly to Rennes, France, on Monday, his flight was abruptly canceled, forcing him to stay overnight in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The Malaysian men’s singles player faces multiple hurdles ahead of the French Open. Whether he will compete as planned in the first-round match against China’s rising star Weng Hongyang on Wednesday remains undecided. Lee Zii Jia’s sister and manager, Lee Zii Yu, told *The New Straits Times* that his competition schedule became chaotic after finishing as runner-up in the Denmark Open final last Sunday. She explained, “No one could have predicted the flight cancellation. The entire team, including coach Wong Tat Meng (except Lee Zii Jia), opted for a longer travel route by train and arrived in Rennes on Monday night.” To ensure Lee Zii Jia could rest, the team arranged for him to fly alone. “We thought it best for him to arrive in France earlier to focus on recovery and physical condition. In fact, we managed to secure the last available ticket for him,” Lee Zii Yu added. However, issues arose during his flight transfer. “Only after we arrived in Rennes did we learn about his travel complications. He will arrive late on Tuesday. We must wait and assess his condition before making any decisions,” she said. As of Monday’s team managers’ meeting, Lee Zii Jia had not withdrawn from the French Open. He is expected to face Weng Hongyang in a rematch of the Denmark Open final around 11 PM Malaysian time on Wednesday.
