National number one Lee Chong Wei got what he wanted – a good workout ahead of his mission to qualify for his first-ever final in an international Open badminton tournament in China.

Chong Wei is the second seed in the China Open, which is the 11th leg of the Super Series.

Shake down: Lee Chong Wei got a good workout during an invitational tournament in China last week. – AFP

He showed that he was ready for the challenges in the tournament beginning tomorrow in Guangzhou when he contributed the only point in Malaysia's 1-3 defeat by South Korea in the mixed team tie at the International Top Four Invitational Championship which ended on Saturday in Foshan, Guangdong province.

The world number two recovered from a first-game setback to beat a gritty Park Sung-hwan 15-21, 21-6, 21-18.

Despite the defeat, Malaysia still pocketed the RM50,000 appearance fee.

Hosts China beat the Koreans 3-1 in the final to claim the RM125,000 winners’ purse.

National chief coach Yap Kim Hock was not too upset over the team's defeat and said that the tournament was a good platform for Chong Wei to test waters ahead of the China Open.

Chong Wei suffered pain in the knee at the back-to-back Opens in Denmark and France recently. He was beaten in the semi-finals of the Danish Open but went on to take the French Open title.

After the outings in Europe, Chong Wei had been cautious in training over the last two week.

“It was not one of his best performances against the Korean but Chong Wei now knows where he stands as far as his condition is concerned. It was a good ‘warm-up’ for him,” said Kim Hock in a telephone interview from China yesterday.

“Based on the draw, it will be tough for our players from the first round. But we hope for a good showing to keep us on track in our preparations for the Beijing Olympics next year.”

Chong Wei's best effort in an Open tournament in China was a semi-final appearance in the China Masters this year.

In the China Open, he has been drawn to meet Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana in the first round. In the same quarter are two other Malaysians – veterans Wong Choong Hann and Mohd Roslin Hashim, who also have tough first-round matches against Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Korean Lee Hyun-il respectively.

Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Yeoh Kay Bin are in the other half of the draw, which has four Chinese players – top seed Lin Dan, Bao Chunlai, Chen Yu and Chen Hong.

n FIRST ROUND

South Korea bt Malaysia 3-1 (Lee Yong-dae-Lee Hyo-jung bt Koo Kien Keat-Wong Pei Tty 14-21, 21-16, 21-16; Park Sung-hwan lost to Lee Chong Wei 21-15, 6-21, 18-21; Hwang Hye-youn bt Wong Mew Choo 21-17, 21-12; Lee Hyo-jung-Lee Kyung-won bt Wong Pei Tty-Mooi Hing Yau 21-12, 21-11).

China bt Thailand 3-0 (Zheng Bo-Gao Ling bt Sudket Prapakamol-T. Saralee 21-18, 21-19; Xie Xingfang bt Salakjit Ponsana 21-17, 21-7; Bao Chunlai bt Boonsak Ponsana 21-16, 21-16).

n FINAL

China bt South Korea 3-1 (Zheng Bo-Gao Ling bt Lee Yong-dae-Lee Hyo-jung 21-17, 21-11; Bao Chunlai lost to Park Sung-hwan 16-21, 18-21; Xie Xingfang bt Hwang Hye-youn 13-21, 21-13, 21-17; Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng bt Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung 21-19, 21-19).

Copyright © 2007 Star Online.