SINGAPORE: Despite a challenging opening day at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2024, former world champion Loh Kean Yew weathered the storm in a three-set encounter as he clawed back from an opening game loss to win the next two sets against world No. 19 Lu Guang Zu (China) and advanced to the next round.
Undeterred by a nail-biting 25-27 defeat in the opening set, Loh refused to yield and stormed back with a dominant 21-15 win in the second set. Fueled by the boisterous home crowd, Loh was rejuvenated and refocused in the deciding set.
He unleashed a merciless onslaught and raced to a commanding 10-0 advantage before cruising to a triumphant finish, leaving his opponent in his wake.
Loh restricted Lu to just five points in the final game, sealing his passage to the next round with a score of 25-27, 21-15, 21-5 in a match that lasted over an hour.
“It was very close in the first set and also in the second game. It could have ended anywhere, and I am glad that I managed to pull through and go to the third set eventually, and win the game.
The start of the third set, we were both quite nervous, and I just try to think of my own initiative, and I am glad that it worked out,” expressed a relieved Loh after winning his opening match.
Loh, currently ranked 12th in the world, expressed his gratitude for the home crowd’s support and hopes to excel and advance as far as possible in the Singapore Badminton Open.
He exited the competition early last year when he suffered a shocking defeat to Christo Popov in the second round. His best-ever finish was in 2022, when he faced current two-time defending champion Anthony Ginting in the semi-finals.
The 26-year-old is set to face world No. 4 Anders Antonsen (Denmark) in the Round of 16 on May 30, who defeated fellow countryman Rasmus Gemke in the opening round in straight sets, 21-17, 21-10.
The two shuttlers, Loh and Antonsen, have clashed five times in the past, with their first meeting at the BWF World Championships in 2021. On that occasion, Loh triumphed in the semi-finals and went on to win the championship title.
Since their inaugural clash, Loh and Antonsen have engaged in a seesaw rivalry, with each player claiming two victories apiece in their four subsequent encounters.
Antonsen emerged triumphant at the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championships in 2022 and the Korea Open in 2023.
Loh Kean Yew exacted revenge in their most recent meetings, winning at the Denmark Open and China Open in 2023, setting the stage for a highly anticipated match on Thursday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The home crowd also witnessed Yeo Jia Min’s valiant effort at the women’s singles event. Despite recovering from an Achilles injury in her recent tournament in Thailand, she pushed world No. 8 He Bing Jiao (China) to the limit in a thrilling three-sets encounter, ultimately succumbing 12-21, 23-21, 16-21.
“I feel it is a bit wasted. The third set was really crucial at the start. I was not able to take the lead because there was unforced errors on my side, and I cannot adjust with the wind conditions as well.
But I tried my best to fight till the end. I hope that I can make myself play more consistent,” Yeo said during her post-match interview.
Meanwhile, in the mixed doubles, Terry Hee and Jessica Tan fell to world No. 4 Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yu Jung from South Korea in straight sets, 14-21, 13-21.
This early exit marks a repeat of their fortunes from last year’s competition, where they also stumbled at the first hurdle. The husband-and-wife pair felt downcast about the results as they prepared for this tournament.
Between February and March, they embarked on a gruelling European tour, competing in five tournaments: the German Open, French Open, All England Badminton Championships, Swiss Open, and Madrid Spain Masters.
After their whirlwind European adventure, they travelled to China in April for the Badminton Asia Championships. This was followed by a rigorous four-week training camp to focus on honing their strength and conditioning.
“We were pretty disappointed because we have a pretty long solid block of training, and we really put in the work and effort to prepare hard for the Singapore Open.
It is our first tournament after five to six weeks so we were pretty upset that we did not manage to showcase what we have. We really prepared so hard for. We couldn’t find our momentum from the start, and we couldn’t get into the game,” lamented Tan.
Now that the Singapore Badminton Open is over for the duo, their attention turns to the competition in Indonesia and Australia and preparing for the Paris Olympics in July.
Earlier in the week, it was confirmed by the Badminton World Federation that Hee and Tan earned a spot at this year’s Olympic mixed doubles event. Loh (men’s singles) and Yeo (women’s singles) also qualified for the Olympics.
With the Singapore Badminton Open behind them, Hee and Tan are now shifting their focus to upcoming competitions in Indonesia and Australia while gearing up for the highly anticipated Paris Olympics in July.
In a significant development earlier in the week, the Badminton World Federation officially confirmed Hee and Tan’s qualification for the Olympic mixed doubles event.
Joining them in their Olympic journey are Loh, who qualified for the men’s singles, and Yeo, who secured a spot in the women’s singles.