Lee Chong Wei sets up mouthwatering clash with Lin Dan at All England Championships
Lee and Lin are all set to entertain their fans in the latest chapter in their storied rivalry.
London: Lee Chong Wei battled through a gruelling three-game contest to set up a mouthwatering quarter-final against Lin Dan at the All England Open in Birmingham.
South Korea's Lee Dong-keun pushed four-time All England winner Lee all the way but the Malaysian superstar eventually came out on top 21-6, 13-21, 21-18 and will face six-time champion Lin on Friday in the latest chapter in their storied rivalry.
"I think I was better in this second-round match and I hope I get better tomorrow in the quarter-final," Lee said after his match on Thursday.
"I've never lost against this opponent (Lee Dong-keun). The first game I won quite easy and in the second game he got more confident and beat me."
China's Lin, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, reached the last eight with a 21-13, 23-21 win against Taiwan's Wang Tzu-wei.
In a major upset, China's Huang Yuxiang beat third seed Kidambi Srikanth of India 21-11, 15-21, 22-20.
In the women's draw, Spain's Carolina Marin took another step towards repeating her 2015 title win with a 21-13, 21-17 victory over Japan's Saena Kawakami.
"I feel really happy because my performance today was really good," said the Olympic champion. "I'm also happy with how I'm playing and how I managed the game."
Marin, who is fifth in the world rankings, will continue her quest for a second All England title in the quarter-finals against Akane Yamaguchi of Japan.
Fourth seed PV Sindhu was taken to a third set against Thailand's Nitchaon Jindapol but held her nerve to come out on top 21-13, 13-21, 21-18.