LEE Chong Wei suffered a shock exit but the struggling pair of Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari and women's doubles Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui put up a decent performance to advance to the semi-finals of the Taiwan Open yesterday.

Chong Wei lost 21-16, 12-21, 21-13 to Simon Santoso.

Zakry-Fairuz, in wretched form since finishing runners-up in the Indonesia Open in May, defeated Luluk Hadiyanto-Alven Yulianto of Indonesia 21-19, 21-14 in the quarter-finals.

Zakry-Fairuz will meet former world champions Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen of Denmark, who upset second seeds Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae of South Korea 21-16, 13-21, 24-22, in the last four today.

Pei Tty-Eei Hui, the third seeds, capitalised on a favourable draw and secured a 22-20, 21-16 win over Juliane Schenk-Nicole Grether of Germany in the last eight.

Pei Tty-Eei Hui need an exceptional performance to overcome top seeds Chien Yu Chin-Cheng Wen Hsing of Taiwan to reach the final of a grand prix event for the first time since the 2005 Indonesia Open.

The Malaysian pair have won four out of nine meetings against Yu Chin-Wen Hsing but having lost four out of the last five encounters, Pei Tty-Eei Hui need to battle hard for survival.

Chong Wei, the second seed, was expected to continue the fine form that fetched him the Japan Open title on Sunday but was beaten 21-16, 12-21, 21-13 by Indonesian No 3 Simon Santoso in the quarter-finals.

The last minute withdrawal of China from the Taiwan Open had in fact improved Chong Wei's chances of winning the title as he did not have to worry about World No 1 Lin Dan, Bao Chunlai, Chen Jin and Chen Yu.

Choong Hann was also outplayed by another Indonesian shuttler Sony Dwi Kuncoro, the World Championships silver medallist, who secured a 21-16, 21-13 win to end Malaysia's hopes in the men's singles.

In the women's singles, Wong Mew Choo's run was cut short by Yip Pui Yin of Hong Kong, the Doha Asian Games silver medallist, who secured a 21-15, 21-14 win.

Copyright © 2007 Star Online.