Korea Open: Tze Yong, Sze Fei-Izzuddin crash out in quarter-finals

Ng went down 20-22, 19-21 against former world champion Loh Kean Yew in a closely-fought contest that would have left the Malaysian rueing his fortunes.

The world number 23 led for most parts of the first game, but allowed Loh to take the lead towards the end.

Despite clawing back from 18-20 to force deuce, the Singaporean gained the lead by applying the pressure and forcing Ng into unforced errors.

The second game was also a tensely contested affair that unfolded point-for-point, with both shuttlers locked at 19-19.

That rally proved the turning point when Ng misjudged the flight of the shuttle with his opponent sprawled on the floor, and left it for Loh to reach match point and convert the win soon after.

The defeat continued the quarter-finals jinx of the Johor-born this year, having now crashed out five times in the last eight.

In the men’s doubles, Goh-Izzuddin’s gallant run ended at the hands of Indonesian top seeds Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto, who beat them 21-9, 23-21.

It was nonetheless a good outing for the newly reunited pair, who had won the US Open last week before making a long haul trip for the tournament to play in the first round barely 24 hours later,

Ng and Goh-Izzuddin, along with most of their national team-mates, are scheduled to travel to Tokyo next for the upcoming Japan Open.