SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Jason Teh is significantly closer to claiming his first major title when he advances to the men’s singles semi-finals at the Thailand Masters.
The athlete secured his victory over South Korea’s Jeon Hyeok Jin with a performance record of 21-13, 21-18 in 49 minutes. This is his first-ever win against Jeon, who holds the 35th spot in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings. Teh will compete against Nhat Nguyen of Ireland in the semi-finals of the Super 300 tournament.
With his win, the athlete expressed: “I just want to play my best and go as far as I can in every tournament…. I think it’s necessary for me to give up Chinese New Year celebrations with family and friends because badminton comes first for me now.”
Furthermore, Teh, seeded fourth in the tournament, achieved a personal best ranking of 30 earlier this week. He is now Singapore’s second-highest-ranked men’s singles player, behind his fellow countryman Loh Kean Yew, who holds the 11th in the world rankings.
In a social media post, Teh stated: “QF win today✅ 🙏🏻… Thank you to all the support today at the stadium, I’ll do my best tomorrow💪🇹🇭🔥”
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Highlights of the match
Teh started strong against Jeon, the 2014 Asian Games men’s team champion and 2017 Sudirman Cup mixed team champion. He showcased his powerful smashes and precise gameplay, capitalizing on his opponent’s unforced errors to establish a solid 13-4 lead.
The 29-year-old South Korean narrowed the gap to 16-12, but Teh quickly regained control. Throughout the match, Teh displayed strong mental resilience, stayed composed, and never allowed his opponent to catch up, ultimately securing his victory in their third encounter.
Teh’s athletic performance so far
The 24-year-old Singaporean athlete has been in excellent form lately. Last month, he reached the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Masters, where he stunned Japan’s world number nine Kodai Naraoka.
He has also made it to the finals of five tournaments in 2024.