PETALING JAYA: After enduring a gruelling 27-hour journey to Birmingham, mixed doubles shuttler Lim Chiew Sien now faces an even tougher task as she prepares to take on defending champions Guo Xinwa-Cheng Fang Hui in the first round of the All-England.
The last-minute change came after their original opponents from Thailand, Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran, withdrew when Supissara was rushed to the hospital.
Chiew Sien arrived in Birmingham after enduring a lengthy journey when her original flight on Sunday (March 1) was cancelled because of unrest in the Middle East.
The 31-year-old had to fork out about RM10,000 from her own pocket to buy a new ticket, opting for a route that avoided transit in the Middle East.
To make matters worse, her new flight only took her as far as London, forcing her to continue the journey to Birmingham by bus.
Her partner Wong Tien Ci had departed earlier for Birmingham with the other professional players.
Chiew Sien-Tien Ci previously faced the world No. 6 pair from China at the Macau Open two years ago, but lost that encounter.
