Canada's top seed Michelle Li won the BWF Macau Open title ©Getty Images

Zhou Zeqi, the Chinese qualifier who had beaten the top seed en-route to a place in the men's singles final at the Badminton World Federation Macau Open, could not take the last step to an unlikely gold.

Instead Zhou had to settle for silver in the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion as he was beaten 21-9, 21-19 by South Korea's third seed, Lee Hyun Il.

Earlier in the tournament, Zhou had shocked the top seed, Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong, in their quarter-final meeting.

Third-seeded South Korean Lee Hyun Il ended the run of Chinese qualifer Zhou Zeqi as he beat him in the men's singles final at the BWF Macau Open ©Getty Images
Third-seeded South Korean Lee Hyun Il ended the run of Chinese qualifer Zhou Zeqi as he beat him in the men's singles final at the BWF Macau Open ©Getty Images

The women's singles final also went according to form - although only after Canada's top seed Michelle Li - a triple Pan American Games gold medallist and Commonwealth Games champion at Glasgow 2014 - had lost a mammoth first game 25-23 to China's fifth-seeded Han Yue.

The Canadian recovered her poise to claim gold as she took the next two games 21-17, 21-15.

It earned her share of the $150,000 (£115,000/€131,000) prize money on offer at this World Tour Super 300 event.