KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Leong Jun Hao was left ruing not taking advantage while leading at crucial moments in his second round defeat to Lee Cheuk Yiu at the Hong Kong Open on Thursday.
World No. 29 Jun Hao had lost the first game, but came storming back in the second to level the match at 1-1 against the 2019 champion at the Hong Kong Coliseum.
However, he could not close the deal, losing 14-21, 21-15, 24-22 to the home favourite in an epic 80-minute battle in front of a vociferous home crowd.
In the rubber, Jun Hao was leading the home favourite 17-12 before world No. 15 Cheuk Yiu began his comeback.
Jun Hao took the lead again at 20-19, but Cheuk Yiu, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, tied the game again before eventually prevailing, 24-22.
"In the third game, I did not take the advantage when I was leading in the crucial points.
"In one or two of the points, I was playing a bit too safe. The player with more endurance and aggression won the match," said Jun Hao in a post-match interview with the BWF.
Earlier, mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin defeated home pair Li Bing Wei-Lin Chih Chun 21-14, 21-14 to book their quarter-final spot.
However, the world No. 40 have a mountain to climb against world No. 2 Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping of China in the next round.
World No. 9 Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei advanced to the quarter-finals after their opponents, Reginald Lee-Ng Tsz Yau of Hong Kong, retired from the match.
Tsz Yau complained of a shoulder issue when the score was 4-1 in the second and eventually pulled out of the match. Tang Jie-Ee Wei had won the first game 21-14.
They will face sixth seed Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui in the quarters. The Malaysians had defeated Xin Wa-Li Qian in the final of the Korea Open two weeks ago.
Seventh-seeded men's doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun had little trouble swatting aside the challenge of China's world No. 46 Xie Hao Nan-Zheng Wei Han 21-11, 21-18.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun will play Indonesia's Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Muhammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahani in the next round.
Mixed doubles pair Yap Roy King-Valeree Siow almost pulled off an upset win over world No. 7 Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong.
The world No. 56 won the first game and was leading 19-18 in the second before the home pair regained their composure and eventually secured a 16-21, 21-19, 21-15 win.
In a battle of married couples,
Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai booked their quarter-final spot after dispatching B. Sumeeth Reddy-N. Sikki Reddy of India 21-11, 22-20. Soon Huat-Shevon will play Chun Man-Ying Suet in the quarter-finals.