KUALA LUMPUR: Next week's Malaysia Masters may only be a Super 500 event, but it has attracted some of the world's best shuttlers as they gear up for the Paris Olympics in July.
The men's singles event will see four of the top 10 players in action, including world No. 1 Victor Axelsen, No. 4 Anders Antonsen, No. 8 Kunlavut Vitidsarn and No. 10 Lee Zii Jia.
The star-studded lineup presents an opportunity for Malaysia's Zii Jia to gauge his standard against the best ahead of his gold medal bid at the Paris Games.
Dane Axelsen aims to secure his first title of the season at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
The 30-year-old's best performances this year were reaching the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open and the European Championships.
Axelsen hopes to use the Malaysia Masters as a springboard to regain his form as he seeks to retain his Olympic crown.
Thailand's world No. 12 Ratchanok Intanon, a former world champion, is among the top players set to play in the women's singles.
Others in the fray are China's world No. 7 Han Yue and compatriot Wang Zhi Yi (No. 9), along with American Zhang Beiwen (No.10) and India's PV Sindhu (No. 14).
