The Rio 2016 bronze medallist had played the Malaysian on nine occasions during his career, with Lee having come out on top in each meeting.

It looked as though that run would be extended when Lee claimed the opening game 21-14, but 22-year-old Axelsen hit back to win the second by the same scoreline.

Despite the crowd being overwhelmingly in favour of Lee, Axelsen would stay strong in the match of the tournament so far, winning the final game 21-19 to secure a semi-final place.

"He was a player I have always looked up to since I was a little child and even though he is not at his best right now, it is a really big win for me,” said Axelsen, who through his racket into the crowd in celebration of his win.

"I am going to enjoy every moment of it.

"It is the mindset you have to have as an athlete, I have lost nine times to Lee Chong Wei.

"But you fall and you stand up again, I am going to stand up every time I fall during my career.”

The Dane will face Son Wan Ho in a repeat of their group match following the semi-final draw, with the South Korean having won Group B, despite a 24-26, 21-8, 21-11 loss to Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus.

It means Group A qualifiers China's Tian Houwei and Denmark's Jan Ø Jorgensen will also play each other again, with the latter having triumphed today by 21-16, 22-20.

Women’s singles action centred on Group B, where China’s Sun Yu beat Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 15-21, 21-10, 21-10 in the opening match.

With Yamaguchi having won a game in the tie, Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain was unable to qualify as she was unable to equal the number of games won by the Japanese player.

Neither would eventually progress, as Pusarla Sindhu avenged her loss in the Rio 2016 final to hand Marin a third successive defeat, while the 21-17, 21-13 win saw the Indian overtake Yamaguchi in the standings.

Sindhu will take on South Korea's Sung Ji Hyun, who preserved her 100 per cent record by beating world number one Tai-Tzu Ying 21-15, 21-17, which means the Chinese Taipei star will take on Sun.

There was a nervy finish to the mixed doubles group stage, when defending champions Chris and Gabby Adcock of England took on Lu Kai and Huang Yaqiong of China, with the winners going through.

The husband and wife pairing would keep their title defence on track by winning 24-22, 21-19 in a tightly fought encounter, which could have gone either way.

They will take on Group A winners Praveen Jordan and Debby Susanto of Indonesia, who won their third straight match, this time 21-17, 21-16 against Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen of Denmark.

The Danish pairing were runners-up in Group A and will face China’s Zheng Siwei and Chen Qingchen tomorrow, with their opponents having topped Group B by overcoming Japan's Kenta Kazuno and Ayane Kurihara 21-19, 21-14.

Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl came through a winner takes all women’s doubles match with Jung Kyung Eun and Shin Seung Chan to reach the semi-finals.

They defeated the South Koreans 21-19, 9-21, 21-16 to end as the runners-up in the standings, with Olympic champions and world number ones Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi next up.

The Japanese stars cruised to a 21-18, 21-14 over Chang Ye Na and Lee So Hee to top Group A, while the South Koreans are set to meet Group B winners Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan for a place in the final.

Chen and Jia had an immaculate record in Group B, with their third match ending with a 21-17, 21-18 success against Vivian Hoo Kah Mun and Woon Khe Wei of Malaysia.

The final outstanding place in the men’s doubles competition was claimed by the top seeded pairing of Japan’s Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda.

Having lost their opening match of the tournament, the pair had diced with elimination but a second straight win saw them reach the last four, as they secured a 21-15, 21-19 triumph against Marcus Fer Gideon and Kevin Sanj Sukamuljo of Indonesia.

The semi-final draw saw the Japanese duo paired against Denmark's Mads Conrad-Petersen and Mads Pieler Kolding, who had defeated Indonesia's Angga Pratama and Ricky Kara Suwardi 21-15 18-21 21-18 today for their third straight win.

Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong of Malaysia face Chai Biao and Hong Wei of China in the other semi-final.