Lee, the three-time Olympic silver medallist, triumphed 21-12, 21-15 at the Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium.

It sets up a last-four encounter with Japan’s Kento Momota, who defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen 21-5, 21-13.

Second seed Son Wan Ho of South Korea was also eliminated at the quarter-final stage today after suffering a 21-18, 21-23, 12-21 loss to India’s Prannoy Kumar.

Prannoy’s reward is a clash with third seed Chen Long of China.

Chen overcame Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus 22-24, 21-15, 21-17.

In the women’s singles event, top seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei remains on course for success after beating China’s He Bingjiao 21-14, 21-9 in the last eight.

Standing between her and a place in the final is India’s Saina Nehwal, who defeated South Korea’s Lee Jang Mi 21-15, 21-13.

The other semi-final pits sixth seed Chen Yufei of China against seventh seed Sung Ji Hyun of South Korea.

Chen overcame Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi 21-9, 21-18, while Sung beat third seed Pusarla V Sindhu of India 21-19, 21-10.

Action also continued today at the European Badminton Championships, which are being held at the Carolina Marín Sports Pavilion in Huelva.

Spain’s Carolina Marín, who the event’s venue is named after, is through to the semi-finals of the women’s singles competition after the top seed beat Denmark's Natalia Koch Rohde 21-17, 21-10.

Next up for Marín is Mia Blichfeldt, also from Denmark, following her 28-26, 21-12 success at the expense of Germany's Yvonne Li. 

If she comes through that, the Spaniard will meet either fourth seed Evgeniya Kosetskaya of Russia or sixth seed Line Højmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark in the final.

Kosetskaya beat England's Chloe Birch 21-14, 21-12 today, while Kjaersfeldt upset the odds to defeat second seed Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland 21-14, 21-16.

In the men’s singles event, top seed Viktor Axelsen overcame fellow Dane Rasmus Gemke 21-11, 21-16 to book his place in the semi-finals.

Awaiting him in the last four is France's Brice Leverdez, who beat The Netherlands' Nick Fransman 22-24, 21-15, 21-15.

Third seed Rajiv Ouseph of England is also through to the semi-finals having defeated France's Lucas Corvee 16-21, 21-18, 21-11.

Standing between him and a place in the final is Denmark's Jan O Jorgensen, who received a walkover win against injured compatriot Anders Antonsen, the second seed.

Day two of the Pan American Badminton Championships in Guatemala saw the top four seeds in the men's singles - Brazil's Ygor Coelho, Guatemala's Kevin Cordón, Canada's Jason Ho-Shue and Cuba's Osleni Guerrero - book their book places in the semi-finals. 

Coelho and Ho-Shue enjoyed straight-game quarter-final wins at the Teodoro Palacios Flores Arena, with the former beating Canada's Brian Yang 21-14, 21-16 and the latter defeating Brazil's Artur Silva Pomoceno 21-17, 21-13. 

Guerrero and Cordón were stretched to three games by Mexico's Job Castillo - 21-13, 16-21, 21-12 - and Lino Munoz - 21-13, 13-21, 21-14 - respectively.

There were no surprises in the women’s singles event either, with the top three seeds - Canada's Michelle Li, Rachel Honderich and Brittney Tam - entering the semi-finals.

Li progressed to the penultimate round by beating the United States' Jamie Hsu 21-18, 21-12, while Honderich defeated American Disha Gupta 21-12, 21-12 and Tam overcame fellow Canadian Talia Ng 21-15, 15-21, 21-15. 

The only non-Canadian in the last four is Mexico’s Haramara Gaitan, who beat Brazil’s Fabiana Silva 24-22, 21-18 and will take on Honderich for a spot in the final.