World number one Lee Chong Wei limped off in tears after suffering a serious ankle injury during a Thomas Cup match on Tuesday, leaving his dream of an elusive Olympic gold medal hanging in the balance.

The 29-year old Malaysian landed awkwardly after just five minutes in the match against Denmark's Peter Gade and was forced to retire.

"His ankle is so swollen. He needs further checks to see the depth of the injury," Rashid Sidek, the national singles chief coach of Malaysia, told reporters in Yuhan, China.

"We have decided that he would not play in the Thomas Cup finals. We want him to have enough rest before the Olympic Games in London.

"He was crying and was so emotional. He must have been thinking about the Olympic Games too. For now, all he needs is some rest and time to regain his confidence."

Chong Wei, the 2008 silver medallist after losing to arch-rival Lin Dan in the Beijing Olympic final, has had an injury-plagued season and went down to unseeded South Korean Wan Ho-shon in the India Open final last month.

The London Games, starting July 27, will be the last Olympics for the Malyasian, a hugely popular figure back home.