JAKARTA, Aug 11 — Former world number one Datuk Lee Chong Wei kicked off his World Championships campaign in style by disposing his opponent Kestutis Navickas from Lithuania 21-9, 21-13 in just 28 minutes at the Istora Senayan, here today.

Lee, having come close to winning the elusive World Championship title three times before, is hoping that Jakarta, his favourite hunting group (won five Indonesian Open Super Series titles here) would again be his lucky venue.

He was the runner-up at the 2011, 2013 and 2014 BWF World Championships and has won the Indonesian Open in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013, all at Istora Senayan, beating the likes of Bai Chunlai (China), Peter Gade (Denmark) and Taufik Hidayat twice.

“I was confident of winning today and it was not a tough match. Right now I am not going to worry about the semifinal or final. I just hope to do better tomorrow,” he said when met after his match today.

Lee however, hopes to meet world number five Lin Dan from China in the semifinal.

“I am ready and hoping to meet Lin Dan in the semis because we might retire soon,” he said when commenting on Lin Dan’s wish to meet Lee in the final, although that is not possible since both are in the same half of the draw.

Lee will next meet Marc Zwiebler from Germany, the 12th seed in the competition.

In the women’s singles, Tee Jing Yi went down fighting to world number one Carolina Marin of Spain 19-21, 21-14, 21-13 in three sets.

After taking the first set with a superb display of attacking play, Jing Yi could not sustain the pace set by the Spanish lass in the second and third sets.

In the mixed doubles competition, Chan Peng Soon/Goh Liu Ying moved into the second round after beating Hong Kong pair Lee Chun Hei/Chau Hoi Wah 17-21, 21-17, 21-18 while another Malaysian pair Wong Fai Yin/Chow Mei Kuan lost 21-18, 18-21, 20-22 in a closely fought battle against Indonesia’s Ricky Widianto/Dili Puspita Richi.

In the men’s doubles, Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong had to endure some anxious moments before edging Philip Chew/Sattawat Pongnairat from the United States 21-18, 18-21, 21-9 in three sets. — Bernama