Reigning world champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei were forced to retire mid-match from their Singapore Open quarterfinal on Friday. This was after Ee Wei suffered a twisted left knee. 

This was the end of one of Malaysia's biggest title hopes at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2026. After the match, Tang Jie praised Ee Wei for her determination to play despite struggling with an injury.

"I know her determination to play in tournaments and represent the country; if she were still able to tolerate it, she would have continued playing,” said Tang Jie. "However, she should listen to her body because I do not want her to risk further injury."

Ee Wei also talks about the incident, calling it one of the most painful moments in her career. "It's my first time retiring in the middle of a match," she said. "It hurts more than I can truly put into words.

She still needs a full medical assessment before declaring how serious the knee injury was. 

The Quarterfinal Heartbreak for Malaysia

The quarterfinal was against India's Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto. The match lasted just 24 minutes before the retirement, and Ee Wei ended up leaving the court in a wheelchair. 

The Malaysians had arrived at the tournament looking to bounce back after a quarterfinal exit at the Malaysia Masters the previous week. They had held the upper hand for most of the tournament.

In the Round of 16, Tang Jie and Ee Wei overcame an intense match to defeat South Korea's Kim Jae Hyeon and Ha Jeong Jang with a score of 22-20, 21-14 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

They had already once played against the same Korean pair at the Badminton Asia Championships in April, where they lost 19-21 and 17-21 in a 46-minute match in Ningbo. 

Ee Wei is now left to look after her fitness ahead of the Indonesia Open and the World Championships later in the year.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Ankita Yadav