Anders Antonsen, World No.2, will be the favorite to win the men’s singles event at the Malaysia Open 2025, starting Tuesday.
He will miss his ‘close friend’ Malaysian World No.6 Lee Zii Jia at the event as he is recovering from the right ankle ligament injury sustained at the BWF World Tour Finals, last month.
“Zii Jia would have loved to play on home soil,” Antonsen said after training at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara today.
“It’s a shame he got injured during the WTF.
“He is a close friend, and I hope to see him back in action soon.”
Zii Jia and Antonsen have shared a great rivalry on the court. The Malaysian triumphed over the Danish in the Malaysia Masters Super 500 quarter-finals, at the Paris 2024, and at the World Tour Final (WTF).
The BWF Super 1000 tournament will be held at the Stadium Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, a familiar facility for the Danish defending champion.
“The facilities here are great. The hall is nice, and it’s not easy to find such good conditions while travelling in Asia. I really appreciate coming here,“ he stated.
“There are also some good players here, and I occasionally spar with them.”