PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has pulled out of the Japan Open from July 15-20 in Tokyo.

Zii Jia's name was listed under "withdrawn" in the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) website.

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Zii Jia was supposed to make his comeback from injury in the Japan tourney, but has been forced to delay his return to competition.

The independent player seems not to have managed to fully recover from the right ankle ligament injury he suffered in the World Tour Finals in December.

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Zii Jia only played in two tournaments so far this year, the Orleans Masters and All-England Open in March.

The 27-year-old's withdrawal from the Japan tourney comes just four days after he posted cryptic images on Instagram that raised concerns over his well-being.

His participation in the China Open from July 22-27 is now also in doubt.