Lee will be champ, says Singapore shuttler Wong
Singapore shuttler bows out of his final Olympics with an overall record of two wins and two losses
REPORTING FROM RIO
Derek Wong played his final match at an Olympic Games here last night.
And the Singapore No. 1 believes he lost to the man who will emerge as the men's singles gold medallist.
Wong, 27, pushed world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei hard in the first set but eventually lost the Group A encounter 21-18, 21-8 at the cavernous RioCentro Pavilion 4, as the veteran Malaysian eased into the last 16.
Minutes after his loss, The New Paper asked Wong if he had just played the 2016 Olympic champion, and he said: "I think so.
"After this match, I think Chong Wei only will get better.
"I think he will probably win the gold.
"After two silver medals, I don't see him being stopped."
A couple of metres away from Wong stood his conqueror, surrounded by a throng of Malaysian journalists.
The 33-year-old spoke of the increased pressure on him, after Joseph Schooling's historic gold medal for Singapore, and the golds won by Vietnam and Thailand.
Lee said he would try his best to deliver a first Olympic gold for Malaysia, and if he plays like he did in the second set against Wong, then he will be hard to stop.
"In the first set, I tried to play long rallies with him and push him all over the court and he made some errors," said the Singaporean.
"But in the second set, he played what I would describe as a perfect game.
"I could see it in his eyes, his focus and that he was going to fight for every point."
Wong beat Surinam's Opti Soren in his first group match and his 1-1 record here matches his effort in his first Olympics, in London in 2012.
"I lost to Denmark's Jorgensen the last time and now to Chong Wei.
"I've had two good games here, I've had two Olympics and it's not something just anybody can experience," he said.
Wong said this would be his final Olympics, but refused to talk about retirement.
"I won't play in another Olympics because I don't want to block the path for the juniors," he said.
"The association wants to develop them and it's only right they be given the chance in the future.
"As for my future, I will go back and talk to my association and will then make an announcement."
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