KUALA LUMPUR: The country's anxious wait for a men's singles champion at the Malaysia Open continues.
Malaysia's challenge in this category at the Super 1000 event came to an agonising end today after Ng Tze Yong was forced to retire with an injury.
Following Lee Zii Jia's disappointing first-round exit yesterday, it was world No. 15 Tze Yong's turn to experience heartbreak when he suffered an unfortunate back injury while playing Japan's Koki Watanabe in the first round at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
A dejected Tze Yong, who exited in the second round last year, said he felt intense pain following a smash when the score was tied 7-7 in the first game.
"I don't know what or how it happened, all I did was smash, and then I felt this intense pain in my back," said Tze Yong.
"I became very stiff and couldn't move.
"I'm extremely disappointed because this is my first tournament at home, and this was not how I expected it to be," lamented Tze Yong, who was clearly still in pain after leaving the court.
The extent of the injury is still unclear, and it remains to be seen if Tze Yong can recover in time for next week's India Open.
"I don't know how bad it is, but this is a new injury, not a recurring one," added Tze Yong, who also retired in the Swiss Open quarter-finals after sustaining a thigh strain when playing Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen.
With both Tze Yong and Zii Jia out of the competition, Malaysia's wait for a men's singles champion in its prestigious home event continues.
Former world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei was the last Malaysian to win the men's singles crown, back in 2018, for a record 12th title.