China's Bao Chunlai ruined Lee Chong Wei's hopes of a fourth successive Malaysian Open title with a 21-14 21-18 victory in Friday's quarter-finals.

Malaysian Lee was tipped to win the tournament after Asian Games champion Taufik Hidayat and world number one Lin Dan had been knocked out in earlier rounds.

Bao, however, was too strong for the second seed and next plays Chen Hong after the 2003 winner defeated Chinese fellow countryman Chen Jin 21-19 20-22 21-16.

The event is the first leg of the Badminton World Federation's new Super Series which offers increased prize money and television coverage, with the aim of lifting the sport's profile.

Peter Gade-Christensen, the 1998 champion, set up an all-Danish affair in the other semi-final with a 21-14 21-13 victory over China's Chen Yu.

World number five Gade-Christensen, who was close to pulling out last week because of illness, next faces Kenneth Jonassen.

Jonassen scored a 21-19 21-15 win over South Korean Park Sung-hwan, who knocked out Lin on Thursday.

In the women's singles, China's Zhu Lin set up a semi-final with Dutch player Yao Jie.

Zhu defeated Hwang Hye-young 21-10 21-10 while Yao overcame Bulgaria's Petya Nedeltcheva 15-21 21-13 21-14.

The other semi-final is between Malaysia's Wong Mew Choo and Japan's Eriko Hirose.

Wong battled to a 15-21 21-15 22-20 triumph over Germany's Xu Huaiwen and Hirose put out Hong Kong's Yip Pui-yin 15-21 21-12 21-10.

(China Daily via Reuters January 20, 2007)