KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 (Bernama) — Ace shuttler Lee Chong Wei bowed out of the South Korean Open badminton championships in Seoul today, leaving only Wong Pei Tty/Chin Eei Hui to keep the Malaysian flag flying after the second round. According to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) website, Chong Wei who is the world No. 2, retired in the third set during a match against Lee Hyun Il of South Korea.
Chong Wei took the first set 21-19 but lost to the Korean in the second 17-21.
Malaysia's top women's pair Pei Tty/Eei Hui survived after beating Aki Akao/Tomomi Matsuda of Japan 21-12, 21-13 and will face third seed Lee Kyung Won/Lee Hyo Jung of South Korea in the last eight tomorrow.
However, another women's pair Lim Pek Siah/Haw Chiou Hwee failed to advance further after losing to the Chinese pair of Gao Ling/Zhao Tingting 15-21, 7-21.
Seasoned campaigner Wong Choong Hann also did not make it after losing to Bao Chunlai of China 14-21, 21-15, 19-21 in 57 minutes.
In the men's doubles, Mohd Zakry Latif/Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari who beat Luluk Hadiyanto/Alvent Yulianto in last week's Malaysia Open, failed to repeat the same feat after they lost to the Indonesian duo 19-21, 21-19, 12-21.
Chew Choon Eng/Chan Chong Ming also crashed out of the tournament after they retired in the third set to third seed Jung Jae Sung/Lee Yong Dae of South Korea 13-21, 23-21 3-11.
National women's singles Julia Wong lost to second seed and world No. 2 Zhang Ning of China 17-21, 21-19, 12-21 in 48 minutes.
