KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Zii Jia has a mountain to climb in his quest to return to winning ways when the World Tour resumes in Europe in less than two weeks.
This comes after the 24-year-old landed in the same half as Denmark's world No 1 Viktor Axelsen in both the Denmark Open in Odense from Oct 18-23 and the French Open in Paris from Oct 25-30.
If all goes according to the script, Zii Jia will cross paths with the Olympic champion in the semi-finals of both tournaments.
With his newly-attained world No 3 status, Zii Jia will head to Europe with renewed optimism as he seeks to halt his poor run of form.
He fared no better than the last 16 in all his previous three starts, with the first-round exit at the Japan Open five weeks ago his worst result of the season.
Zii Jia also failed miserably in both the Malaysia Open in June and World Championships in Tokyo in August.
Many didn't see that coming especially after Zii Jia seemed to have found his footing by nailing the Asia Championships and Thailand Open titles in succession in May.
Zii Jia knows very well that the only way to shut his critics is by reaching the finals at least, if not winning titles.
And if he is to accomplish that in the two forthcoming Super 750 meets, he will probably have to overcome the in-form Axelsen, who has lost only once in 41 matches this year.
In his only clash with Axelsen this year, the Indonesia Open semi-finals in June, Zii Jia lost narrowly 19-21, 21-11, 23-21 in a 70-minute duel.
Zii Jia also has some strong opponents to deal with in Denmark, with Indonesia's Jonatan Christie likely to stand in his way in the quarter-finals.
In Paris, he has drawn Shesar Hiren Rhustavito in the first round, the man who sent him packing in the last 16 of the Malaysia Open.
Zii Jia also faces the prospects of meeting China's Zhao Jun Peng, who slayed him at the world meet, in the quarter-finals.