Mixed doubles world champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei have bowed out of the Badminton Asia Championships after a straight game defeat in the quarter-finals on Friday.

The Malaysians succumbed to a 19-21, 17-21 defeat against South Korea’s Kim Jae-hyeon-Jang Ha-jeong in a defeat that will be of concern to national mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto.

While the match was a tight affair and the margin of defeat was a close one, on paper Chen-Toh should have won.

The world number four faced a pair ranked over 140 spots lower than them, but at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center it was the South Koreans who were in control.

Kim-Jang allowed Chen-Toh to attack them, but responded with a strong defence which left the Malaysians frustrated.

Chen-Toh were also culpable of conceding soft points through unforced errors in crucial rallies, especially in the second game where they were mounting a comeback.

In five tournaments this year, Chen-Toh have won one title at the Indonesia Masters and reached the quarter-finals twice.

It is not a bad record, but they must perform better in big tournaments such as this.

The pair will now have an extended break to work on their game as they are both not involved for the upcoming Thomas & Uber Cup assignments taking place later this month.