KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Zii Jia acknowledged the immense pressure he's shouldering as Malaysia's first singles at the Thomas Cup Finals, but he's relishing the duty that he's becoming accustomed to.
The 26-year-old is set for his fourth consecutive appearance in the Finals, commencing in Chengdu today, where he will lead Malaysia's campaign against Hong Kong in the Group D opener.
For the record, since assuming the leading role at the Aarhus edition in 2021, Zii Jia has performed admirably, earning four points out of six matches as first singles, including a flawless record in the three matches played in Bangkok two years ago.
However, despite his impressive performance, Malaysia could only reach the quarter-finals in both editions.
As he gears up for a potential face-off with Lee Cheuk Yiu today, Zii Jia has vowed to give his all, determined to clinch another crucial point for Malaysia, especially mindful of the team's limited depth in the singles department.
"Cheuk Yiu is definitely a tough opponent.
"As the team's number one singles player, I know that the first point is very important and I will do my best," Zii Jia told the Malaysian media in Chengdu.
"We don't have (Ng) Tze Yong with us this time, so our men's singles lineup is not too strong, so I'm under a lot of pressure here.
"But I have already played in the Thomas Cup three to four times, so I avoid placing too much pressure on myself every time I play.
"This is a team competition, I know for a fact that my other teammates will also do their part and try to win their respective matches regardless I win or lose in the first match.
"It doesn't help to keep thinking about our team strength as you still got to go out there and play.
"It won't help to keep thinking about it, we should just enjoy the game."
Meanwhile, captain Soh Wooi Yik and partner Aaron Chia seemed upbeat ahead of the showdown with Hong Kong, expressing confidence in securing a win.
"The entire team are in good shape and as long as we hit top form, we can certainly win. All we need to do is to focus on performing well in the game," said Wooi Yik.
"This is a team event, we have each other's back and achieve good results together."
Aaron chipped in: "The first tie is always important for the team's morale. I have no doubts that everyone in the team will be ready for tomorrow."
Group D also comprises favourites Denmark and Algeria.
Malaysia will play Algeria
tomorrow followed by Denmark in what could be a possible top-of-the table clash on Tuesday.
Malaysia vs Hong Kong probable line-up:
First singles: Lee Zii Jia vs Lee Cheuk Yiu
First doubles: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik vs Tang Chun Man-Yeung Shing Choi
Second singles: Leong Jun Hao vs Angus Ng Ka Long
Second doubles: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani vs Law Cheuk Him-Reginald Lee
Third singles: Justin Hoh vs Chan Yin Chak
