SINGAPORE: It was a triumph for former world champion Loh Kean Yew on Tuesday (Oct 17) at the Danish Open, when he scored a big win after losing the first set against Japan’s Naraoka Kodai, currently ranked third in the world, 19-21, 21-6, 21-19, in a game that lasted one hour in 20 minutes.
Loh’s recent record against the Japanese badminton star has been an impressive four wins in the last four games. His victory at the Arena Fyn in Odense, Denmark, means he advances to the second round. The 26-year-old Loh faces off against Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, 26, on Thursday (Oct 19) in the round of 16.
Name: Kodai
The Cure: Loh Kean Yew
H2H: LKY 4-0 Kodai.#DenmarkOpen2023 pic.twitter.com/6vXCkOqXYi
— Twee Twee (@ThongWeeDaphne) October 18, 2023
Singapore’s former badminton world champion’s current ranking is ninth in the world, while Antonsen is ranked 10th. However, Loh’s highest ranking is third in the world in November last year, while Antonsen’s is second in September 2022.
Nevertheless, the win against Naraoka was a sorely welcome one after Loh’s disappointing first-round loss at the Asian Games earlier this month. He was defeated by Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong, 23, currently ranked 17th in the world. Ng has shown that he’s one to watch, having bested Loh the last four times they faced each other in a match.
Here is Olympics.com’s account of Loh’s win against Naraoka:
Loh seemed to be in control in the first game, leading 19-16, but Naraoka reeled off five consecutive points to wrap up the game.
The second game was a lopsided affair as world No. 9 Loh raced to an 11-4 advantage at the mid-game break and easily took the game 21-6. The decider went back and forth. Loh was trailing 10-15 but managed to come back and turn things around. He converted his second match to seal the win after 80 minutes of play.
Before his match against Naraoka, Loh posted a short video clip of himself in action on his Instagram account, writing, “Denmark Open leggo. Hope to do well here.” Fans encouraged the athlete, with some coming back to congratulate him in the comments after his big win.
Notably, Indonesian player Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, 26, currently ranked second in the world, has also advanced to the next round of the Denmark Open, defeating France’s Christo Popov, 21, 21-15, 21-15. Ginting will next face either Ng or China’s Lu Guang Zu. The Denmark Open, formerly known as the Danish Open, is being held this year from Oct 17 to 22. The tournament has a total prize money of US$850,000 (S$1,163,206). /TISG
Loh Kean Yew’s valiant display falls short against Viktor Axelsen at China Open