LEE Chong Wei will join forces with friend and rival Taufik Hidayat at the SGS PLN Bandung club when he competes in the Indonesian Badminton Super League in Surabaya on Feb 20-26.

However, Chong Wei will only play on the last two days of the league since he will be defending his National Grand Prix title in Kuala Terengganu between tomorrow and Monday.

BA of Malaysia (BAM) general manager Kenny Goh confirmed Chong Wei's entry for the league and said the shuttler has been seeking permission for the last two weeks after being invited by Taufik.

"Chong Wei will be competing in the Indonesian Super League after the National GP Finals. Chong Wei said he wanted to help Taufik and his club to win the league," said Goh.

"He has promised that his training will not be affected as he will only play two matches."

Taufik had mentioned two weeks ago that SGS Bandung had tried to lure Chong Wei and China's Lin Dan but were unable to secure their services.

However, Taufik's good relationship with Chong Wei not only attracted the World No 1 but will now also make SGS Bandung favourites in the men's team championship.

Bandung's other notable players are Tommy Sugiarto and Alamsyah Yunus in the singles while Flandy Limpele-Hendra Gunawan and Singapore's Hendra Wijaya-Chaiyut Triyachart will boost the doubles.

Two other Malaysians -- Hafiz Hashim and Wong Choong Hann -- will play for Musica Champions Kudus coached by former world champion Haryanto Arbi.

Defending champions Jayaraya Suryanaga Surabaya, who won the inaugural league in 2007, are among the title contenders while Djarum Kudus, Tangkas Alfamart Jakarta, Jaya Raya Jakarta and Mutiara Bandung are the other clubs vying for the title.

Chong Wei's involvement in the Indonesia Super League makes him the only top class player who will be competing in two professional leagues abroad. He is also also down to play in the China League for Guangzhou after next month's All England. Doubles player Koo Kien Keat will be the first to see action in the China league as he will represent Guangzhou when the league begins today.

Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong were supposed to play for Guangzhou but the latter qualified for the National Grand Prix Finals with Hoon Thien How.

The China league is lucrative as players are expected to earn as much as RM50,000 per match with foreign players or pairs expected to play up to four matches throughout the league.

DUBAI: Petra Kvitova lost in the first round of the Dubai Championships on Tuesday, falling to Ayumi Morita 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3) only two days after beating Kim Clijsters to win a tournament in France.

The Czech player, who has won three titles in her career, lost for only the second time this season.

"Well, I think everything was bad for me," said Petra, who is ranked 14th in the world. "I was tired and I felt everything. I couldn't serve too much because I'm feeling the muscle in the stomach. Yeah, I was slow and tired, so it was tough to play."

Pattaya Open champion Daniela Hantuchova also lost in the first round. The Slovak became dizzy for a time, saying she "couldn't keep track of the score" at one point, before losing to Anna Chakvetadze of Russia 6-1, 6-3.

"Felt like I didn't have much energy on the court," said Daniela, who won her first title in nearly four years in humid Thailand on Sunday. "I was trying and I know the tennis was not very pretty. I was trying my best. ... physically, it was just impossible today."

Another surprise loser was former No 1 Ana Ivanovic, who fell 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 to Patty Schnyder of Switzerland. The 14th-seeded Serb was in control after winning the first set and leading 3-1 in the second but collapsed amid a wave of unforced errors and double faults.

Ana was broken early in the decider and again to trail 5-2 after double-faulting. Patty closed out her first victory of 2011 when the Serb sent a backhand long.

"It feels great especially where the (Australian Open) didn't go that well," said Patty, who lost in the first round in Melbourne.

Ana, who was dumped out of the Australian Open in the first round, blamed the latest setback on her ongoing recovery from an abdominal injury which had forced her to retire from a tournament in Sydney last month.

"It's very disappointing," she said. "I think I had lots of chances in the second set and then the level really dropped ... I felt in the third set particularly, I could not accelerate anymore. Kind of a strength issue, a little bit."

Sara Errani of Italy, who lost in the Pattaya final, advanced by beating Slovak qualifier Zuzana Kucova 6-1, 6-4. Another Italian, Flavia Pennetta, landed only 43 percent of her first serves but still defeated Australian wild card Jelena Dokic 6-2, 6-2.

Shahar Peer of Israel, a semi-finalist last year, beat Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain 6-4, 6-1. -- AP