Thai ace Boonsak Ponsana has withdrawn from next week's world championships due to an ankle injury.
Boonsak Ponsana hopes to be fit for next month's Asian Games. FILE PHOTO
The 32-year-old shuttler said yesterday he was recovering well from the injury but it was too soon for him to return to action at the world championships to be held in Copenhagen from Aug 25-31.
Boonsak said it was a pity that he could not take part in the tournament as he hoped to get good results to move up in the world rankings.
He started the season at No.6 but is now 13th following several poor results.
Boonsak hopes to be fit for next month's Asian Games to be held in Incheon, South Korea.
Ratchanok Intanon is also not fully fit in the defence of her title in Copenhagen.
But the world No.6, who was sidelined due to illness recently, said she was not worried much about her result in Copenhagen.
"I am not 100 percent fit for the tournament," said the 18-year-old who aims to reach the quarter-finals.
Fourth seed Ratchanok got a bye in the first round and will face compatriot Busanan Ongbumrungpan or Beatriz Corralez of Spain in the second round.
She could meet 14th seed Nichaon Jindapon, another Thai, in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's miserable luck with injuries has continued with Simon Santoso the latest shuttler forced to withdraw from next week's world championships after contracting dengue fever.
The world No.8, who won the Singapore and Malaysian Opens this year, has been in hospital since being diagnosed on Monday and will not be replaced for the event as the men's singles draw has already been made.
Indonesian hopes at the championships were hit further on Tuesday when men's doubles defending champions Mohammad Ahsan pulled out after re-injuring his back, meaning partner Hendra Setiawan also won't play.
"It's a disaster for us. We are leaving on Thursday morning and we have no choice. They cannot play," Indonesian badminton official Bambang Roedyanto said.
Indonesia's injury curse began in June when mixed doubles world champions Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir were forced out of competing in Denmark after Ahmad injured her ankle.
In another development, top-ranked Lee Chong Wei's hopes of winning a first world title were handed a major boost after the Malaysian badminton association (BAM) settled a row with his coach and allowed the duo to work together again.
Malaysia's men's singles coach Rashid Sidek had been sidelined by the BAM after a poor showing at the Commonwealth Games earlier this month when the Southeast Asians failed to bring home gold in the event for the first time since 1986.
The public row between Rashid and BAM president Tan Sri Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff led to Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin stepping in to resolve the issue for the good of Lee, twice Olympic and world championship runner-up.
The intervention appeared to work, with 1990 and 1994 Commonwealth Games champion Rashid permitted to travel with the squad to Copenhagen for the world championships.