PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has been handed a tough draw in the Malaysian Open from Jan 6-11 at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil.

Zii Jia, who is set to make his first competitive appearance since September, could go up against China's world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi in the second round, based on the draw released on Tuesday (Dec 30).

Before that, the independent player has a tricky opening task against India's world No. 32 Ayush Shetty, while Yuqi will start as the favourite against Denmark's world No. 27 Rasmus Gemke in the first round.