KUALA LUMPUR: Former World No 1 Lee Chong Wei showed no signs of fatigue when he advanced to the second round of the Asia Championships in Wuhan on Wednesday.
Chong Wei, the fifth seed, chalked up a convincing 21-17, 21-16 win over China’s Qiao Bin in the opening round.
The Malaysian, who won in 2006 and 2016, said the win is a good start in his quest to bag a third Asian title.
"It is just the first round, but it is a good win. I want to focus on my game, and take it one match at a time," said Chong Wei.
The World No 7 takes on 12th-ranked Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia, who defeated Sri Lanka’s Niluka Karunaratne 22-20, 21-12, on Thursday.
Also through to the next round were mixed doubles Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, who saw off Taiwan's Lee Yang-Hsu Ya Ching 21-19, 21-6.
Soon Huat-Shevon will face Indonesia's Ricky Karanda Suwardi-Debby Susanto next for a quarter-final spot.
It was, however, the end of the road for former world junior champion Goh Jin Wei, who lost 18-21, 21-15, 21-10 to Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the women’s singles first round.
Men's doubles Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani both failed to make full use of the competition to impress their coaches ahead of next month's Thomas Cup when they also crashed out in the opening round.
Others who were showed the door on Wednesday were mixed doubles Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and women's doubles Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean.