Viktor Axelsen once again commended Lee Zii Jia on his performance in the All-England semi-finals and earmarked him a rival for the foreseeable future.

In one of the most absorbing contests this year, the Danish star needed an intervention from the umpire to prevail in the 73-minute contest, when Zii Jia was adjudged to have returned a shot before the shuttle crossed over to his court at 19-19.

The world number four went on to win 17-21, 21-13, 21-19 and clinch his maiden All-England title after a straight set success over Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen in the final.

Three months on, Axelsen is still reflecting on that semi-final encounter which he narrowly won.

“It was a match I will remember for a long time, because it was a really good match. Zii Jia is improving and is a strong opponent, and I definitely see him being a rival to top players,” said Axelsen.

Men’s singles chief coach Hendrawan, meanwhile, said his new star player has a stubborn streak about him, which may not be a bad trait in badminton.

The world number 10 concurred with his coach.

“I admit I can be stubborn, but I’m someone who fights hard when faced with a challenge. If I want something, I work hard towards it, no matter how impossible the odds are.

“I want to thank Axelsen for his kind words. It is definitely motivation for me to work harder, and I hope we can give the fans another unforgettable match in the future,” said Lee, who recently began training with the national team.

The Kedah-born is now aiming to break into a competitive top five bracket, after making the top 10 list on the back of his All-England performance, which also saw him beat Indonesian Jonatan Christie and China’s Chen Long.

It will take some time before Lee achieves that target, as he is behind Chen Long, who occupies fifth spot, by 20,000 points on the ranking list.