The world No 25 won the first game against the unheralded Vietnam-born Nhat Nguyen of Ireland but lost the match 21-10, 18-21, 9-21 in an energy-sapping 75-minute match at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur.

He was also a first-round casualty at the Malaysia Open and Indonesia Open in January, the All-England championship in March and the Badminton Asia Championships last month.

Two more men’s singles players – Ng Tze Yong and Justin Hoh – will be playing their opening matches later today.

Meanwhile, newly paired mixed doubles duo Loo Bing Kun and Oh Ee Wei, playing only in their second tournament together, defeated Taiwanese world No 30 pair Lu Ming Che-Hung Eng Tzu 20-22, 21-18, 21-15.

They will meet world No 23 pair Ye Hing Wei-Nicholas Gonzales Chan from Taiwan in the last 16.

However, Ee Wei’s regular partner Chen Tang Jie who was paired with Chan Wen Tse in the last two tournaments, lost in the opening round against China’s Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi 20-22, 15-21.