CHENGDU - Singapore's top-ranked paddler Feng Tianwei lost to the same opponent for the second tournament in a row on Saturday (June 24), crashing out of the China Open in the quarter-finals after a straight-sets loss to 16-year-old Sun Yingsha 7-11, 6-11, 9-11, 7-11.

The world No. 4 had also lost 1-4 to the Chinese teenager in the round of 16 at the Japan Open last Friday, the first time the pair had played each other. Sun then went on to claim the title.

Feng cited fatigue as the chief reason for her comprehensive defeat to Sun.

"My preparation wasn't ideal as I've been playing a lot of tournaments lately and haven't had much time to rest or train," she said.

"This puts me at a disadvantage when playing against younger players (like Sun)."

The same pattern played out for each of the four sets: Feng would fall behind early before closing the gap, only to run out of steam.

But Feng gave credit to her opponent as well, adding that Sun was "faster and more skilful, and I wasn't able to cope with her level of play during the match".

The China Open semi-finals later on Saturday will be an all-Chinese affair, with Sun taking on world No. 2 Liu Shiwen. Top-ranked Ding Ning is facing world No. 5 Chen Meng.