Can Zii Jia find salvation at the U.S. Open, just like Chong Wei & Fei-Din? 

After his first-round exit at last week’s Macao Open, Lee Zii Jia will compete in the U.S. Open as he aims to collect crucial ranking points and discover some much-needed form.

It will be a huge psychological test for the 28-year-old to get over his spate of first round exits this year.

Zii Jia will take on Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Dang, who is ranked higher than him at 61 in the first round.

But on paper, the Malaysian is still expected to win based on his quality.

The U.S. Open has proven to be an interesting tournament for Malaysians who went there to revive their careers.

In 2015, Lee Chong Wei competed in this Super 300 event after returning from a eight-month doping ban.

Chong Wei was ranked 181 when he took part in the U.S. Open, but comfortably won the tournament in straight games. He later went on to become world number one again.

Eight years later, it was Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin’s turn to play in this competition as they looked to climb up the ranking ladder having split several months before.

Just like Lee, they too were crowned champions and went on to become world number one the following year.

For Zii Jia, the road to get to the top is much more challenging, but not impossible.

Now ranked 65, he needs more than a few victories to make his way even to the world top 10.

But if there is a tournament which has proven to be a turning point for fallen Malaysian shuttlers, it is the U.S. Open.

Perhaps Zii Jia will keep this in mind when he starts his campaign.