SINGAPORE: It was a mixed result for the local shuttlers as Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min navigated a challenging opening round on Tuesday, May 27 at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2025 to book a spot in the Round of 16, while Jason Teh exited the competition after falling to world no. 1 Shi Yu Qi.
Singapore’s top men’s singles player Loh came from a set down to claim his first career win over Alex Lainer (France), 21-23, 21-17, 21-11. The duo had first met on the court last October during the Denmark Open quarter-final round, with the Frenchman winning 21-18, 15-21, 24-22.
“I’m happy to be able to win a seeded player here at the Singapore Open,” said Loh after his match against Lanier at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
On the opening day of the Singapore Badminton Open, world no. 9 Lanier came out on the offensive early on, as he dominated much of the first game with powerful smashes and established a six-point lead during the game.
Loh showed grit to claw back, scoring five consecutive points from 13–18 down, and then another three-point burst from 17–19 to earn a game point at 20–19. However, the Frenchman did enough to hold off Loh’s charge, to claim the first set 23–21.
However, world no. 10 Loh bounced back strongly in the second set, upping his aggression and forcing a string of unforced errors from Lanier. After pulling ahead from 6–6, Loh never relinquished the lead.
In the deciding set, Loh seized control of the game early with blistering smashes and built momentum with the backing of the home crowd. From 2–1, he led throughout and closed out the match in emphatic fashion.
“It’s going to be challenging because we’re up against the very best in the world here. But playing at home in Singapore is always special. The cheers from the crowd lift me, and I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got,” shared Loh before the tournament.
Loh will next face another Frenchman, Toma Junior Popov, in the Round of 16. Toma had a relatively easy opening game as he came through against Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in straight games 21-19, 21-15.
The 2011 BWF World Championships winner Loh holds a dominant 5-0 head-to-head record against the world No. 16, with his latest victories coming in 2024 at the French Open and Spain Masters.
Should Loh dispatch Toma in the next round, he could possibly be setting up a match with another French player, Christo Popov in the quarter-final.
The world No. 23-ranked player delivered an upset in his opening game, winning 21-17, 21-13 against third-seeded player Anders Antonsen of Denmark. With the win, Christo will next face the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2022 Thomas Cup H.S Prannoy.
WOMEN’S SINGLES – YEO SETS UP CLASH WITH WORLD NO.1
Over at the women’s singles category, Yeo delighted home fans with a confident straight sets win 21-14, 21-13 over Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan in 41 minutes.
Yeo settled into the match after a slow start, recovering from early pressure to pull ahead with deft control and placement. From a narrow 14–13 lead in the first game, she surged with five straight points to take control and close it out.
“It is really warm to know that there are a lot more supporters supporting badminton in Singapore. There’s maybe a little bit more excitement, wanting to do well for Singaporean fans.”
“I’m really thankful that I played a good game today and maintained that focus from start to [finish]. I’m really relieved, and I’m all focused for the next round,” expressed Yeo after her win in the opening game.
The Singapore shuttler would be hoping to keep up with her performance against her next opponent, as the stage is now set for a blockbuster Round of 16 clash against the defending champion, An Se Young.
The South Korean had previously recorded eight wins over Yeo, with the Singaporean claiming two wins against An, at the 2024 India Open and 2019 Hyderabad Open. The two players also met in the Singapore Badminton Open two years ago, with An cruising to a 21-12, 21-11 win.
While both Loh and Yeo’s journeys continue in the Singapore Badminton Open, it is the end of the competition for men’s singles player Teh. The 2025 Thailand Masters winner bowed out in the opening round, falling to defending champion Shi in straight games, 16–21, 16–21.
Teh put up a spirited performance in the second game, leading by as much as three points at various stages. But Shi showed his championship pedigree, reeling off six straight points at the close to wrap up the match in 42 minutes.
This was his second defeat to the top-seeded player Shi, the first coming during the BWF Sudirman Cup 2023 group stage match.
“I was really hoping to play a few more matches, but since I drew him (Shi), there’s nothing I can do about it. I just have to face it positively and take it as a chance to learn a lot from him.”
“Maybe if I played someone else, whether I won or lost, I wouldn’t gain something as valuable because he’s the world number one, so technically the best. So I faced it with a positive mindset,” said Teh, who will set his focus next on the Indonesia Open.
Singapore mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Jin Yujia will open their Singapore Badminton Open campaign on Wednesday, May 28, against Rehan Kusharjanto and Gloria Widjaja of Indonesia.
A win for Hee and Jin will see them taking on either Chen Cheng Kuan and Hsu Yin-Hui (Chinese Taipei) or the fourth-seeded pair Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui of China in the Round of 16.
The Singapore Badminton Open was first organised by the Singapore Badminton Association in 1929. The competition first became part of the International Badminton Federation Grand Prix circuit. It regained international recognition in 2007 when it became part of the BWF Super Series, and subsequently designated as one of the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournaments in 2018.
Two years ago, the Singapore Badminton Open was upgraded to the BWF World Tour Super 750. It is one of the seven competitions held this year in the Super 750 series, alongside the China Masters, Denmark Open, French Open, Japan Open, and India Open.