Changing partners: Lee Chun-hei and Chau Hoi-wah end alliance at the Hong Kong Open
- Once ranked as high as sixth in the world, the pair have found new partners
- Lee says changing partners is one way of improving as professionals
After a successful six-year partnership, Hong Kong’s badminton mixed doubles pair, Lee Chun-hei and Chau Hoi-wah, played their last game together before calling time on their alliance.
Lee and Chau have decided to move on, dissolving their partnership that saw them become the first Hong Kong mixed doubles pair to win a superseries title on the world tour.
One of Hong Kong’s most successful teams – they were Asian champions in 2014 and bronze medallists at last year’s world championships – the pair will continue their careers with new partners when they compete at the Korea Masters at the end of the month.
On Tuesday, Lee and Chau couldn’t win one last time for old time’s sake as they succumbed to China’s Wang Yilyu and Huang Dongping in the first round of the Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open at the Coliseum on Tuesday. It was a sad end to the pair who were ranked as high as sixth in the world.
“I give it my all ... it doesn’t matter whether I was playing with Lee or another player,” said 32-year-old Chau after losing 21-16, 15-21, 21-15. “It wasn’t a bad performance but our opponents were just too strong.