NEW DELHI – Tokyo Olympics gold medal winner Chen Yu Fei of China on Friday pulled out of the ongoing India Open badminton championship due to illness.

Her quarter-final clash was scheduled against Thailand’s Supanida Katethong.

Health and fitness issues have bedevilled some players at the January 17-22 event in New Delhi.

Malaysia’s professional men’s singles shuttler Liew Daren was forced to retire from his match against Denmark’s Hans-Kristian Vittinghus on Wednesday due to injury.

India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty on Thursday pulled out of their men’s doubles match against China’s Liu Yu Chen-Ou Xuan Yi after Rankireddy suffered a hip injury.

In the quarter-finals on Friday, Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi defeated Spain’s Carolina Marin 21-17, 14-21, 21-9 in one hour and four minutes. – Bernama