Malaysian ace Lee Chong Wei upset in opening round at All England Championships

Three-time champion Lee Chong Wei was sensationally beaten by India’s B Sai Praneeth in the first round of the All-England Championships on Wednesday, putting a firm dent into his preparations ahead of the Rio Olympics .

The Malaysian second seed was beaten 24-22, 22-20, which ended a promising few months where he had won his last four events.

“I can’t believe I lost in the first round,” Lee told reporters. “I had pressure to win but I made mistakes and I’m shocked at how well he played.

“This is a real learning curve for me.”

Lee, the former world number one, was playing his first All-England since 2014 following his eight-month drug suspension ended last year.

Praneeth, however, clawed his way back from 11-3 and 15-7 deficits in the first game to take control of the match and hailed the win as his best result.

“It is a big shock for me too and after the last rally I cannot believe that I won,” said Praneeth, who set up a last 16 clash with Denmark’s Hans-Kristian Vittinghus.

“I do not know how I turned it around. I think he was under pressure as it was a close match and that was a big advantage for me. Of course it is my greatest victory of all time.”