I did not expect to lose, says Chong Wei
Lee Chong Wei’s surprise defeat in the first round of the All-England Badminton Championships to an unknown Indian player was totally unexpected and unpredicted said his coach Hendrawan.
To be realistic, Chong Wei’s opponent, B Sai Praneeth, deserved to win because he was in outstanding form while Chong Wei was not able to produce his best during the 22-24, 20-22 defeat at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham.
“Sai Praneeth produced an excellent display of badminton today as he had nothing to lose. So, Chong Wei’s loss was justified because he was not at his best,” he said in a statement today.
Chong Wei had won the All-England in 2010, 2011 and 2014.
“This is totally unexpected for me. I came here to win. Praneeth has improved a lot since we played in the Canada Open last year. I think he has a great future,” Chong Wei was quoted as saying in the BWF official website today.
Hendrawan added that Chong Wei’s loss would not disrupt his focus on preparations for the gold medal assault at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil.
- Bernama
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