Zii Jia pulls out of China Open as injury woes persist
The 27-year-old had initially targeted the US Open in June for his comeback, but a right ankle injury forced a change of plans.
He then hoped to make his return at the Japan Open this week, but that, too, failed to materialise.
Attention now turns to whether Zii Jia can recover in time for the World Championships in Paris on August 25-31.
His prolonged absence is a major blow, especially with the Malaysian currently ranked No. 27 in the real-time world rankings.
Skipping back-to-back Super 750 events in Tokyo and Changzhou could see him slide out of the world's top 32 by next month.
However, there is a silver lining - Zii Jia is eligible to compete using a protected ranking of No. 9.
The special status, granted after he was injured at the All England in March, allows him to enter any World Tour event for up to six months upon his return.
A recent black-and-white Instagram post by Zii Jia, featuring a series of sketch-like images with no captions, triggered concern among fans over his mental well-being.
But National Sports Council director-general Jefri Ngadirin has moved to ease those fears.
He confirmed that he had reached out to Zii Jia's camp and was assured the Olympic medallist is not in distress.
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