Lee Chong Wei earned a place in the men's singles quarter-finals ©Getty Images

Defending champion Lee Chong Wei battled through a tough second round match at the All England Open to book his place in the quarter-finals at Arena Birmingham.

The Malaysian badminton star appeared to be on course to a routine victory when he won the opening game of his match against Lee Dong-Keun 21-6.

His South Korean opponent rallied back to take the second game 21-13, setting up a tense decider at the Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 1000 event.

A closely fought final game would ultimately go the way of the defending champion, who prevailed 21-6, 13-21, 21-18.

Lee Chong Wei will continue his bid for a sixth men's singles title at the tournament against Lin Dan, as the double Olympic champion eased through.

The Chinese star, a Beijing 2008 and London 2012 gold medallist, beat Taiwan's Wang Tzu-wei in his second round match.

Lin beat Lee in both his Olympic-winning finals.

Reigning Olympic champion Chen Long also secured a quarter-final berth, courtesy of a 21-18, 21-14 win over Thailand’s Khosit Phetpradab.

Chen will feature in an all-Chinese quarter-final against Shi Yugi, who was a 21-11, 21-19 winner against South Korea's Lee Hyun-il.

Chinese Taipei's defending women's singles champion Tai Tzu-Ying progressed comfortably to the last eight, following a 21-15, 21-11 win over Thailand's Busanan Ongbumrungpan.

With the world number one having not dropped a game so far, Japan's Aya Ohori looks set for an uphill battle in their quarter-final meeting.

PV Sindhu earned a three game win in her second round match ©Getty Images
PV Sindhu earned a three game win in her second round match ©Getty Images

Ohori came through a tough test today, emerging as a 24-22, 21-18 winner against Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei.

Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu also survived a scare, with the Indian player having been taken to three games by Thailand’s Nitchaon Jindapol.

Sindhu ultimately battled to a 21-13, 13-21, 21-18 victory.

She now faces the challenge of Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara, after the world champion comfortably wrapped up a 21-13, 21-15 win over Fitriani of Indonesia.

Rio 2016 gold medallist Carolina Marin has also shown good from so far, with the Spaniard winning 21-13, 21-17 against Japan’s Saena Kawakami in her second round match.

She awaits the winner of the all-Japanese clash between Sayaka Sato and second seed Akane Yamaguchi.