KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Zii Jia is eager to build on his impressive run to the Arctic Open semi-finals as he prepares for tougher challenges on the European leg of the World Tour.
The independent player showed marked improvement in Vantaa, Finland, progressing from the qualifying rounds to the last four before falling to Denmark's world No. 6 Anders Antonsen.
The world No. 56 also received timely advice from close friend and eventual champion Antonsen, who encouraged him to believe in his ability and continue his comeback.
"There are a lot of positives I can take from this week — match by match, I gained a lot of confidence. I hope to bring it to the upcoming tournaments," said Zii Jia.
"Thank you for supporting me all the way. I will keep going no matter what."
Depending on withdrawals, Zii Jia could play in the Denmark Open, which begins in Odense on Tuesday.
He is listed as the fourth reserve for the Super 750 tournament.
If he misses out, the former All England champion may have to wait until the Super 500 Hylo Open in Saarbrucken from Oct 27-Nov 1 to continue building momentum.
He is also set to compete in the qualifying rounds of the Super 500 Korea Open from Oct 3-8, but is listed as fifth reserve for the Kumamoto Masters in Japan from Nov 10-15.
Nonetheless, the semi-final run is expected to help the former world No. 2 break into the top 50 when the Badminton World Federation releases its latest rankings on Tuesday.
A return to the top 50 would boost his chances of qualifying for Super 750 and Super 1000 tournaments next year.
Meanwhile, Leong Jun Hao will be looking to build on his improved performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games — where he stunned Indonesia's then-world No. 1 Jonatan Christie in the team event — at the Denmark Open.
World No. 30 Jun Hao faces a tricky first-round clash against Japan's world No. 16 Koki Watanabe on Tuesday.
Watanabe arrives in Odense on the back of an upset victory over Taiwan's world No. 3 Chou Tien Chen en route to the Arctic Open semi-finals.
However, Jun Hao will draw confidence from his current form and a 4-2 head-to-head record against Watanabe.
In women's singles, world No. 28 K. Letshanaa opens her campaign against Denmark's world No. 13 Line Christophersen, while world No. 37 Wong Ling Ching takes on Japan's world No. 21 Riko Gunji.
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