It has been an interesting few days for Anders Antonsen, who moved past his frustration of getting stuck in Shenzhen to arrive in Kuala Lumpur to train and possibly catch up with Lee Zii Jia before leaving for China again.

Antonsen is currently training at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) after making the cut for the season finale World Tour Finals (WTF) as the top eight men’s singles shuttlers.

The 26-year-old Dane had initially lost at the China Masters second round to eventual champion Kodai Naraoka, and had to wait in agony to see if he had done enough to qualify for the WTF taking place in Hangzhou (Dec 13-17).

“Those couple of days were horrible, as I couldn’t make a decision on my plans if I should practice somewhere or go for a holiday. I was just stuck in Shenzhen waiting,” he told StadiumAstro.

As it turned out, a planned holiday to Melbourne to escape freezing temperatures in Denmark was shelved for the time being, and he arrived in KL instead to train at the ABM to prepare for the WTF.

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“Once the WTF slot was confirmed, I needed a place to practice and thought of KL. I spoke to the coaches and they allowed me to be here for a couple of weeks which I am truly grateful for.

“It is a strong line-up for the WTF. I’m proud to qualify in my comeback season as it is not an easy event to feature in,” he explained.

The comeback season which he reflected on was enduring a tumultuous groin injury which left him depressed and started to create self-doubt if he would reach the peak of his prowess once again.

Almost a year on, the affable shuttler speaks of that episode with a grateful look on his face after winning the Korea Open, finishing second at the Singapore Open and securing a World Championships bronze medal.

He’s also got the WTF to look forward to, a tournament which he won back in 2020 after beating national team-mate Viktor Axelsen.

But for now, he intends to make the most of his time in KL.

“I’ve been here a few times and know a few good cafes, but I am going to spend some time exploring KL as well. It won’t be a holiday though, as I will be busy with my training.”

There are also plans to meet up with Lee if the opportunity permits.

“Surely looking to meet up with him if he is not too busy practicing. We have been in touch, and he has been helping me out with all sorts of stuff. It’s been good.