Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s men’s singles coach Hendrawan didn’t want Lee Zii Jia to get too caught up in his opponent’s world ranking at the World Championships in Basel, Switzerland that will kick off on August 19.
Instead, the former world champion from Indonesia said anything could happen in that tournament, and Lee must stay focused during the match and keep himself calm and confident.
“Usually in big tournaments, the opponent’s ranking is not a major factor in term of winning or losing,” said Hendrawan.
“A lot of surprises can happen and I want Zii Jia to focus on every match. Looking at the draw, Zii Jia was handed a comfortable-looking start, there could be a good chance for him to advance to the quarterfinals,” added Hendrawan.
At the same time, Hendrawan also did not want Zii Jia to underestimate lower ranked opponents especially when he would face Brazilian player Ygor Coelho in the first round.
“In every tournament, the most difficult situation would be the early rounds because players still getting use to the venue and the atmosphere.”
“The Brazilian (Coelho) player has been known for his fighting spirit, so Zii Jia has to be very careful.”
Lee Zii Jia, currently ranked 14th in the world, is expected to meet Chinese player Lu Guangzu in the second round if he gets past Ygor Coelho in the first round.
Lee would then play Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto if he could defeat Lu Guangzu in the second.
