Loh Kean Yew’s title drought continues with Korea Open final loss to Anders Antonsen Singapore's Loh Kean Yew loses to Denmark's Anders Antonsen in the Korea Open final. PHOTO: EDWIN LEUNG David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED JUL 23, 2023, 10:52 PM SGT SINGAPORE – The wait goes on for Loh Kean Yew, as he continues his search for that elusive first tournament victory since winning the 2021 world title. But Singapore’s top badminton player sees this as a motivational challenge, rather than extra stress. On Sunday, the world No. 8 lost 11-21, 21-11, 21-19 to Denmark’s 16th-ranked Anders Antonsen after 68 minutes in the US$420,000 (S$559,000) Korea Open men’s singles final at the Jinnam Stadium in Yeosu. Fourth seed Loh did not enjoy the best of starts, falling behind at 1-5 and 4-9, but astonishingly swept 17 out of the next 19 points to take the first game. However, he could not string consecutive points in the second game as Antonsen won by the same scoreline. In the nail-biting and “roller-coaster” rubber game, he led 7-3, trailed 8-13, and caught up to 15-15, but just could not get his nose in front again as he fell to 1-2 in his head-to-head record against Antonsen. With such fine margins, three crucial points in the decider appeared to determine the final result. The first came early on, when Antonsen seemed to hold his hand up after Loh was already in motion to serve, and the Dane won following the re-serve. After the interval, Loh twice had a wide open court to aim at, but smashed into the net and then wide respectively. Looking back, he said: “I feel sad because it felt like a wasted opportunity to win a title. For the serving incident, mind games do happen, but I kept my focus. “As for the misses, I definitely could have done better with my decision-making at some points. Today was not my day, I will learn from this experience and I hope there will be a better outcome in the next final. “Win or lose, every final is a milestone. I felt, for the most parts of this week, I managed to apply what I trained for in terms of patience and shot consistency in my matches, which was good. Right now, I see the drought as a motivation for me to break it, not as pressure.” While Loh missed out on his first title in 19 months, Antonsen conquered four seeded opponents to end his own 30-month title drought after struggling with a chest complaint and other injuries in the past year as the former world No. 2 slipped to 30th. The Dane pocketed US$31,500 in prize money and 9,200 points for the Race to Paris (Olympics) ranking list, and fellow 26-year-old Loh had to be content with US$15,960 and 7,800 points. In the other finals, China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping beat compatriots Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 21-16, 21-13 in the mixed doubles, while Chinese top seeds Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan outlasted home pair Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong 21-10, 17-21, 21-7 in the women’s doubles. An Se-young did give the home crowd something to cheer about when she beat Taiwanese Tai Tzu-ying 21-9, 21-15 to retain her women’s singles crown for her sixth title in 2023. The men’s doubles final was won by India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who beat Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Rian Ardianto 17-21, 21-13, 21-14. Turning his sights to the July 25-30 Japan Open, Loh will have to take the positives from a week in which he overcame Malaysia’s 58th-ranked Leong Jun Hao, China’s 2022 World Championships bronze medallist Zhao Junpeng, Malaysia’s most in-form men’s singles player Ng Tze Yong and Japan’s top seed and world No. 4 Kodai Naraoka. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Interactive: How Loh Kean Yew unleashes his winning smash Loh Kean Yew stays patient in solving badminton puzzle National singles assistant coach Loh Wei Sheng said: “Kean Yew mostly played well in the final, as he was fast, and showed initiative to attack. However, he made many unforced errors which cost him the match. Besides, he also had two service faults that caused him to hesitate in flick serves and affected his service quality later on.” Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew added: “Overall, Kean Yew played well. His movement and shot quality were stable and, from that, he was able to anticipate his opponents better. He will need to maintain these, while being more patient with his shots and reducing the number of unforced errors during crucial moments.” In Tokyo, the seventh-seeded Singaporean will meet Ng again in the first round, and it is another Causeway Derby in the women’s singles as Yeo Jia Min takes on Goh Jin Wei. Women’s doubles duo Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong will face Taiwanese Chang Ching-hui and Yang Ching-tun, while mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Jessica Tan play Asian champions Jiang and Wei. MORE ON THIS TOPIC For Loh Kean Yew, the No. 1 dream is Olympic gold Singapore Badminton Association aims to keep producing smash hits
Chengdu World University Games Badminton buddies serve up one last hurrah By WANG XIAOYU in Chengdu | China Daily | Updated: 2023-08-01 07:26 A fresh college graduate with a passion for data analysis has teamed up with an aspiring lawyer for men's badminton doubles to fulfill a dream at the Chengdu FISU World University Games. For the Singaporean athletes, the goal is not only to train and compete hard but also to enjoy themselves on the court while representing their home country one last time. "I guess (coming here) for us is more about seeing the real scale of the whole games," said Neaton Ang Jia Jun, 25, who graduated with a degree in data science and analytics at the National University of Singapore earlier this year. "Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we didn't really get to travel much during our school days, so it's a good opportunity for us to have a final game before we officially leave the sport." The Chengdu games that opened on Friday were postponed twice due to the pandemic. To mitigate the effect on student-athletes, the International University Sports Federation broadened eligibility requirements, allowing current university students aged between 18 and 27, as well as those who graduated from 2020 to 2022, to participate. Li Zhengxi, Ang's doubles partner, graduated last year with a bachelor's degree in law from the National University of Singapore. "Badminton has always been a passion for me, and I believe for Neaton as well. When we heard that the games were delayed, we were slightly disheartened," the 26-yearold said. "But when this edition came and they changed the rules to allow alumni like us to play, I think we just grabbed the opportunity." Both Ang and Li now have full-time jobs in Singapore. Nonetheless, they believe the trip to Chengdu was worthwhile. "We know that this will be the last time that we can possibly represent Singapore… so we thought, why not do it one last time and do it well?" Li said. In their debut, they lost 16-21, 19-21 to Poland's Robert Cybulski and Mikolaj Jan Szymanowski during the fourth match of the mixed team event, which took place at the Shuangliu Sports Centre Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon. "I think it was a close fight," said Li. "This was also our first match together during the competition, so maybe we have not realized our best potential yet, and hopefully we'll get better over the next few games." Ang added, "I guess we came here more as friends, and we just wanted to compete together and have a good time." The pair's friendship began at the university. They said that striking a balance between sports and academics was a challenging but rewarding experience. "I think time management and a certain level of discipline are required," Ang said. "I managed to do it to a certain extent, and the experience also taught me to be a more resilient person." For Li, he said some sacrifices had to be made to prioritize certain tasks and make the most of their limited time. "Over the past few years, we had to cut back on things such as social interaction, going out with friends and sleep," he said. "I started working this year, so training hasn't been really easy. I've been trying to train maybe two to three times a week if it was possible. It could get quite hectic." At the Chengdu event, Li will also compete in mixed doubles, and Ang will take part in men's singles. Ang said he and Li are focusing on the games at the moment and hope to play a few good matches in the coming days. He has been able to take a peek at the abundance of culture and history of Chengdu by watching online videos. In addition to pandas, Ang said that he would also be interested in visiting geographical sites in the city, such as the Dujiangyan, a centuries-old irrigation system. Chengdu charting new standards in international rapid transit Going the extra smile Rising tide
Pearly Tan and other talented Southeast Asian badminton players smashing their way up From record-breaking smashes to Olympic dreams, meet the players redefining the sport in the region Yahoo Malaysia Mon, 21 August 2023 at 1:32 pm SGT·6-min read Malaysian doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah have been establishing themselves as a force on the court for a while now. (PHOTO: Pearly Tan/IG) By Natasha Joibi 2023 has been nothing short of awesome for Malaysian shuttler Pearly Tan. From scoring a new Guinness World Record for the fastest female badminton smash to winning an epic 211-shot rally at the Malaysia Masters in May, Tan, 23, and her doubles partner M. Thinaah, 25, have captivated the badminton world. But this was no overnight success. The terrific two have been establishing themselves as a force on the court for a while now, with wins at the Swiss and French Open (firsts for a Malaysian women's pair) and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games among their achievements. Also, as fans of the sport will tell you, Tan and Thinaah aren't the only ones turning the sporting world's gaze Southeast Asia's way with their on-court exploits. Many more young stars are proving that the region is still very much the badminton hotbed. Here's a look at just a few of them. Loh Kean Yew (Singapore) Malaysia-born Loh Kean Yew's biggest achievements on the badminton court have come in a Singapore shirt. And at 26, the 2021 world champ— Singapore's first — is just warming up and looking to score even greater things for his adopted country. Nicknamed the "Chinese Slayer" due to having once defeated four Chinese shuttlers, including the legendary Lin Dan, in a tournament, the 26-year-old Loh's on a mission to establish his class. And a bromance with world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen appears to be already reaping dividends. 2021 World Champ Loh Kean Yew is just warming up and looking to score even greater things for Singapore. (PHOTO:Loh Kean Yew/Instagram) Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand) In 2017, Kunlavut Vitidsarn became the youngest men's singles player to win the BWF World Junior Championship. Since then, he's bagged two more world junior crowns, two SEA Games gold medals, numerous international accolades, including the German, Indian and Thai Open titles and emerged as runner-up in the 2022 BWF World Championships. The "worrying" thing for Vitidsarn's opponents, though, is that the current World No. 3 is only 22. So there's a long way yet to go for this young gun. At just 22, Thai sensation Kunlavut Vitidsarn has a long way yet to go yet. (PHOTO: BWFMedia/Twitter) Yeo Jia Min (Singapore) A former World Junior No.1 and the first Singaporean in either junior or senior categories to climb to the top of the BWF rankings, Yeo Jia Min has been steadily building her reputation. And her growing collection of international tour titles and major scalps, including world No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi, whom she beat at the 2019 World Championships, has the world sitting up and taking notice. Still only 24, this trailblazer certainly has a bright future ahead of her. And she's taking it all, both the ups and downs, in her stride. A former World Junior No.1, Singaporean Yeo Jia Min is taking it all, both the ups and downs, in her stride. (PHOTO: Yeo Jia Min/Instagram) Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (Indonesia) Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, a.k.a. Jorji, is considered a star on the rise. And she's already proving her supporters right, thanks to big wins against top players and a history-making outing at the Madrid Spain Masters in 2023, which saw her smash India's P.V. Sindhu in straight sets in the final. A former BWF World Junior Champion, Jorji, 24, has been the true leading light of Indonesian women's badminton. And while her 2020 Tokyo Olympics outing may have ended in the Round of 16, there is no disputing her class. Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, a.k.a. Jorji, has been the true leading light of Indonesian women's badminton. (PHOTO: Gregoria Mariska Tunjung/Instagram) Jonatan Christie (Indonesia) Leonardus Jonatan Christie, 25, is a bona fide badminton ace. A SEA Games and Asian Games gold medalist and part of Indonesia's winning 2020 Thomas Cup team, the shuttler's not looked back since bagging his first senior international title in 2013 at the tender age of 15. But Christie also proved to be a champ off the court when he took time off from badminton in early 2021 to care for his mum, dad and brother, who'd contracted COVID-19. Brother Ivan, unfortunately, succumbed to the disease. Yet that only spurred Christie to do better, and dedicate his outing at that year's Olympics to his late sibling. Indonesian shuttler Jonatan Christie is a bona fide ace, both on and off the court. (PHOTO: Jonatan Christie/Instagram) Pornpawee Chochuwong (Thailand) She may be currently ranked a few rungs below compatriot Ratchanok Intanon in the BWF Women's Singles World Rankings. But Pornpawee Chochuwong, 25, has been going from strength to strength. And ironically, it was her win against idol and former world champion Intanon in her BWF World Tour Finals debut in 2020 that really thrust her into the spotlight. Now, with a SEA Games gold medal and two World Tour crowns under her belt, Pornpawee is eyeing moving up the rankings and of course, Olympic glory. She may be currently ranked a few rungs below compatriot Ratchanok Intanon, but Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong going from strength to strength. (PHOTO: Pornpawee Chochuwong/Instagram) Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik (Malaysia) Aaron Chia Teng Fong, 26, and Soh Wooi Yik, 25, haven't quite regained the form that saw them emerge victorious at the 2022 World Badminton Championships. But don't discount Malaysia's first-ever world champs, who are determined to prove that there's more still to come from them. Time will tell if they can notch yet another historic first for their country. But you can bet that the pair are looking towards the 2024 Paris Olympics and hoping to improve on the bronze they won at the 2020 Tokyo Games. There's also next year's Thomas Cup, where the pair is expected to line up alongside compatriot Lee Zii Jia in Malaysia's bid to regain the trophy it last clinched in 1992. Malaysian pair Aaron Chia Teng Fong and Soh Wooi Yik are determined to prove that there's more still to come from them. (PHOTO: BWF Media/Twitter) Do you have a story tip? Email: malaysia.newsroom@yahooinc.com.
Loh Kean Yew cruises into Badminton World C’ships last 16 Loh Kean Yew will take on India’s ninth-ranked H. S. Prannoy on Thursday for a place in the quarter-finals. PHOTO: AFP David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED 7 HOURS AGO SINGAPORE – Former world champion Loh Kean Yew was in devastating form as he blasted past Azerbaijan’s world No. 75 Ade Dwicahyo 21-4, 21-11 in just 24 minutes to make it to the Badminton World Federation World Championships men’s singles round of 16. The Singaporean world No. 7 will take on India’s ninth-ranked H. S. Prannoy on Thursday for a place in the quarter-finals, where he could face home favourite and defending champion Viktor Axelsen, at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen. Prannoy had beaten Indonesia’s world No. 21 Chico Dwi Wardoyo 21-9, 21-14. In three previous encounters, Loh had defeated Prannoy just once, en route to winning his historic world title in 2021. After limiting Indonesia-born Dwicahyo to a maximum of three consecutive points during the match, Loh, who reached the last eight in 2022, told The Straits Times: “I’m happy to be able to stick to and execute my game plan today, to take the initiative, be aggressive but also patient when required. “The challenges are only going to be tougher from here on. “My team and I will do the necessary analysis and recovery to be ready for Thursday’s match against my opponent.” With the 26-year-old becoming the first Singaporean to make it through to the last 16 at this year’s competition, some of his compatriots will look to follow his lead after progressing from the first round to the last 32. The Republic’s second men’s singles and world No. 98 Jason Teh will meet Hong Kong’s world No. 16 Lee Cheuk Yiu in the last 32 on Wednesday after recording his first win at the world championships. The 22-year-old outlasted the Czech Republic’s 40th-ranked Jan Louda 24-22, 17-21, 21-15 after 76 minutes on Monday, showing plenty of grit as he saved two game points in the first game. In the women’s singles, world No. 22 Yeo Jia Min will meet Indonesia’s eighth-ranked Gregoria Tunjung after a first-round walkover over Frenchwoman Qi Xuefei. World No. 23 Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong also got off to a winning start in their women’s doubles campaign. They were relentless as they beat England’s 29th-ranked Chloe Birch and Lauren Smith 21-10, 21-11 in 33 minutes to set up a round-of-32 clash against China’s world No. 14 Li Wenmei and Liu Xuanxuan on Wednesday. In the mixed doubles, world No. 29 Terry Hee and Jessica Tan displayed good understanding to beat Denmark’s 23rd-ranked Mathias Thyrri and Amalie Magelund 21-12, 21-18 in 33 minutes. Mixed doubles duo Terry Hee and Jessica Tan beat Denmark 21-12, 21-18. PHOTO: BWF/BADMINTONPHOTO A pleased Hee said: “Things went our way today and we managed to control the momentum to our advantage. “In the second game, we lost focus during the mid-game but we stayed in the game, adjusted ourselves, pushed through to not let it slip.” The husband-and-wife team will face South Korea’s world No. 5 pair Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yu-jung in the round of 32 on Wednesday, and Tan wants to go into the match with a “nothing to lose” attitude. The 30-year-old added: “They are one of the best in the world, we hope we can carry this momentum into the next match and give them a hard fight.” However, there were no upsets from other lower-ranked Singaporean representatives who fought admirably but ran out of steam in their respective deciders. In the women’s singles, world No. 100 Insyirah Khan was defeated by 73rd-ranked Juliana Vieira 21-9, 19-21, 21-14 after 50 minutes. In the men’s doubles, world No. 75 pair Loh Kean Hean and Andy Kwek were 11-10 up in the rubber game after some fascinating exchanges – Kean Hean won a point while lying on his back, before the Singaporeans led at the interval following a 36-shot rally in which Kwek and his opponent Tan Qiang had to change their rackets due to broken strings. However, China’s 20th-ranked duo Ren Xiangyu and Tan capitalised on unforced errors to prevail 21-12, 10-21, 21-14 in 54 minutes.
Loh Kean Yew displays resilience but falls short at BWF World Championships Loh Kean Yew displays resilience but falls short at BWF World Championships - Singapore News (theindependent.sg) Photo: Facebook screengrab / SPOTV Share Follow us on Instagram and Telegram August 26, 2023 By Khalis Rifhan “I am happy that I played a good game, but in the first set I lost. I can just look forward and keep fighting and keep trying,” Loh shared in a post-match interview after the match SINGAPORE: Singapore’s top shuttler, Loh Kean Yew, was eliminated in the Round of 16 at the 2023 BWF World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, by India’s HS Prannoy. Loh displayed great resilience and triumphed in the second set by 21-15 after narrowly losing the first set by 18-21. However, he couldn’t sustain his performance until the end and ultimately succumbed in the crucial third set by 19-21. This is Loh’s fourth career loss to the Indian badminton player. Loh’s only win against Prannoy came in the same tournament two years ago in the quarter-final round, with a score of 21-14, 21-12. The two also had an intense duel at the Japan Open 2022, with Prannoy winning 22-20, 21-19. Loh had a strong start to the 2023 BWF World Championships, defeating Pablo Abian of Spain 21-12, 21-9 in just 28 minutes. In Round 32, Loh faced Ade Resky Dwicahyo, an Indonesian-born citizen of Azerbaijan. The match lasted approximately 24 minutes, and Loh emerged victorious with a score of 21-4, 21-11. In the face of his tournament exit, Loh remains upbeat and maintains a positive attitude. He openly acknowledges that his opponent made strategic moves during the match that ultimately secured him the victory. “I am happy that I played a good game, but in the first set I lost. I can just look forward and keep fighting and keep trying. At the end I was a little bit more rushed and he took the risk and got the rewards. It was a very big move from him and of course with my judgement it was sad that it turned out this way. I know that Prannoy is very strong and a good player, so I prepared for the toughest match that I can play,” shared Loh in a post-match interview after the match. Loh will not have much time to rest as he has a packed schedule in September. He will start the month with the China Open, followed by the Hong Kong Open. The 2021 World Champions will represent Singapore at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, at the end of September. “It is a privilege to keep on playing and participate in elite and world class tournaments, but of course realistically speaking, we also need some break. For us, we are also human, but it is not easy to do that because if you play more does not mean you always win, and if you lose you will still keep playing,” added Loh. There were other Singapore shuttlers in the 2023 BWF World Championships, too. Jason Teh fought against Jan Louda of the Philippines in the men’s singles Round of 64, ultimately falling short with a score of 22-24, 21-17, 15-21. Other Singaporean shuttlers participated in the recently concluded 2023 BWF World Championships but were eliminated in the first round. Among them, Jason Teh displayed commendable skill and determination in his men’s singles Round of 64 match against Jan Louda from the Philippines. Although Teh put up a good fight, he unfortunately couldn’t secure the victory and went down 22-24, 21-17, and 15-21. Terry Hee and Jessica Tan suffered the same fate as they lost to Denmark pair Mathias Thyrri and Amalie Magelund 21-12, 21-18. In the mixed doubles, Andy Kwek and Loh Kean Hean were defeated 12-21, 21-10, 14-21 by China’s Ren Xiang Yu and Tan Qiang. Singapore women’s doubles pairing Jin Yu Jia and Crystal Wong lost to England’s Chloe Birch and Lauren Smith 10-21, 11-21, while Insyirah Khan went down to Juliana Viera of Brazil 9-21, 21-19, 14-21.
World Badminton Championship: 'I Wasn’t Brave Enough In Lot Of Areas', Says HS Prannoy After Thrilling Round Of 16 Win Over Loh Kean Yew Loh Kean Yew: India's top-ranked shuttler HS Prannoy, who is on hunt for his maiden world championship medal, admitted that it was an intense match and he felt he was not brave enough in a lot of areas in the hard-fought battle against former world champion Loh Kean Yew in the third round of the BWF World Championships. By IANS News August 25, 2023 • 18:16 PM World Badminton Championship: 'I wasn’t brave enough in lot of areas', says HS Prannoy after thrilli (Image Source: IANS) Loh Kean Yew: India's top-ranked shuttler HS Prannoy, who is on hunt for his maiden world championship medal, admitted that it was an intense match and he felt he was not brave enough in a lot of areas in the hard-fought battle against former world champion Loh Kean Yew in the third round of the BWF World Championships.Prannoy, the hero of India's triumph in the Thomas Cup last year, defeated the 2021 champion from Singapore 21-18, 15-21, 21-19 in a hard-fought encounter on Thursday. Speaking to BWF website after his grueling win, the ninth-seed Indian said he executed shots that are typically outside of his usual repertoire, which constituted the only difference in the game. "I wasn't brave enough in a lot of areas, but towards the end I convinced myself that it was okay to lose, but not okay to not try, so that’s why towards the end I played some shots that I usually don’t play, and that was probably the only difference," said Prannoy. "There’s a lot of talking with the coaches. They were asking me to do certain things but I wasn’t able to do those things. I was wondering what to do and I was getting frustrated because I wasn't able to play the way they wanted me to play, and they were getting frustrated because I wasn’t able to execute those kinds of shots. "It's difficult out there to play those shots in a pressure match. But that’s where the coaches come into play, they give you the confidence to play, that it’s okay to lose," he said. Prannoy conceded an early lead in the first game before fighting back to level scores at 8-8. Loh took the lead again at 12-9 before the Indian shuttler equalised at 16-16 before surging to a 21-18 first-game win. The trend continued in the second game and though Prannoy caught up with Loh at 13-13, the Singapore shuttler quickly grabbed the remaining points to pocket the second game 21-15. In the thrilling decider, Prannoy was holding a comfortable 11-4 before Loh launched comeback and reduced the gap to 11-10. The Singaporean won five consecutive points to take a 16-14 lead but Prannoy could not be denied as he caught up with his opponent at 19-19 and went on to win the game and match to seal a quarterfinals berth . The emotions had tumbled out after Loh got six points in a row, pulling abreast after trailing 4-11 in the third. Prannoy said that he has been suppressing the emotions and felt the need to express them loudly in order to release the pressure mounting in his head. "It was intense, it was emotional. Until 11-4 it was cool, then suddenly you could see Loh injecting a new gear and hitting those hard smashes, and it was really coming hard. Especially towards the end of the third game to hit those kinds of smashes, you don’t expect that. But that has been his strength always, he moves quick and always out there on top of the shuttle. "Emotionally it was important to let go; I was holding back for sometime and it wasn’t helping me, so that’s why I had to shout it out, and somehow get rid of the pressure that was mounting in my head. Probably that’s why it was emotional at the end. "I was getting nervous, to be honest. Had to let it go somewhere, that’s why there were so many emotions. That’s how it is in some games," Prannoy said. After roaring to thrilling win, Prannoy set up a quarterfinal clash with World no. 1 reigning Olympic and world champion Viktor Axelsen on Friday.
World Badminton Championship: Prannoy stuns Viktor Axelsen, ensures a medal for India Singapore Open | World Badminton Championship: Prannoy stuns Viktor Axelsen, ensures a medal for India - Telegraph India Prannoy will face Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semi-final on Saturday PTI Copenhagen Published 26.08.23, 09:20 AM HS Prannoy during his quarter-final match against Viktor Axelsen of Denmark on Friday.AP/PTI HS Prannoy extracted the last ounce of energy from his reservoir to stun two-time defending champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in a thrilling 68-minute quarter-final match to ensure a medal for India in the World Badminton Championship here on Friday. Prannoy will face Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semi-final on Saturday. In a nail-biter, Prannoy once again showed his big-match temperament as he fought back from a game down to outwit the world No. 1 Axelsen 13-21, 21-15, 21-16 in front of his home crowd at the Roal Arena. “Oh yes! I finally have a worlds medal,” said Prannoy after ensuring his maiden medal. Prannoy played under immense pressure with the home crowd rooting for the world No. 1 Axelsen. “I just zoned out, the only thing under my control is me. I was actually not thinking anything else today (Friday), just thinking what to do to take the next five points,” the world No 9 said. The 31-year-old from Kerala thus continued India’s dream run at the World Championships as the victory sealed the country’s 14th medal in the event. PV Sindhu won five of them, including a gold in 2019, and Saina Nehwal (silver and bronze) claimed two. Kidambi Srikanth (silver), Lakshya Sen (bronze), B Sai Praneeth (bronze) and Prakash Padukone (bronze) are the other medallists in singles. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had won a bronze in the last edition, while Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa claimed a bronze back in 2011 in the women’s doubles. Earlier, the Indian pair of Satwiksairaj and Shetty missed out on a second worlds medal after suffering a shocking straight-game loss to Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark in the quarter finals. The world No 2 pair went down 18-12, 19-21 to the 11th-seeded combination.
Loh Kean Yew beats Christo Popov in China Open to avenge earlier defeat Singapore's Loh Kean Yew will face Denmark's Anders Antonsen in the China Open's round of 16. PHOTO: AFP David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED SEP 6, 2023, 12:44 AM SGT SINGAPORE – Some sense of normalcy was restored when the Republic’s top badminton player Loh Kean Yew beat Frenchman Christo Popov 21-14, 21-17 in their China Open first-round match on Tuesday in Changzhou. In so doing, the world No. 8 avenged his shock Singapore Open round-of-16 defeat in their first meeting in June when the then 35th-ranked Popov pulled off a stunning 21-10, 23-21 win. Loh has another opportunity to exact revenge as he faces Anders Antonsen in the round of 16 after the 10th-ranked Dane beat India’s world No. 12 Lakshya Sen 23-21, 16-21, 21-9. Antonsen has a 2-1 edge in their head-to-head record, most recently beating the Singaporean 11-21, 21-11, 21-19 in the Korea Open final in July to continue his fine comeback from injury. Loh, 26, said: “It was a good win today against an opponent who gave me a lot of problems at the Singapore Open. “I was unwell before and during the World Championships, but had one week to rest, recover and prepare for the China Open. I’m feeling better and the atmosphere and hospitality here are also uplifting. “Anders is a strong opponent. We had a competitive match in Korea and I’m looking forward to another good exchange with him on Thursday.” The winner of this match could face Denmark’s world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen in the quarter-finals of the US$2 million (S$2.7 million) tournament, a Super 1000 event that offers the most ranking points on the Badminton World Federation World Tour as players try to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. As such Loh, who has had a roller-coaster season that includes another final in the Badminton Asia Championships but also eight first- or second-round exits, was keen to put aside the disappointment of losing to India’s sixth-ranked H.S. Prannoy in the last 16 of the world championships in August. Against Popov, he looked switched on and raced to a 12-5 lead, overcoming the world No. 29 with power and patience. Popov would narrow the gap to 17-14, but Loh smashed his way through the last four points to claim the opening game. It was a similar tale in the second game as the 2021 world champion pulled away after his opponent caught up to 8-8, and never looked back. Two five-point runs to make it 13-8 and 20-13 ultimately sealed his victory in 47 minutes. The competitiveness of the men’s singles field was evident in how world championships bronze medallist Prannoy lost 21-12, 13-21, 21-18 to Malaysia’s world No. 22 Ng Tze Yong in the biggest upset of the day. However, Singapore’s top women’s singles player, world No. 22 Yeo Jia Min could not surmount the odds as she relinquished a 14-12 lead in the first game and an 18-16 advantage in the second to lose 21-17, 21-19 to China’s 11th-ranked Wang Zhiyi in 41 minutes. National singles coach Kelvin Ho said: “Jia Min played pretty well overall, and her speed and shot quality have improved. She still needs to add consistency in her shot quality as there were a quite a number of errors that gave her opponent easy points. “Meanwhile, Kean Yew did well to control the momentum, changing tactics and strategy in between points to have more variation. He was clear-minded and patient today, and his shot quality and consistency were good. “Against Anders, he will need to continue to focus on the process and go for the right shots with the right mindset.” Singapore’s 33rd-ranked mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Jessica Tan will open their campaign against China’s world No. 3 Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping on Wednesday. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Loh Kean Yew loses dramatic world c’ship last-16 tie to India’s Prannoy Loh Kean Yew’s title drought continues with Korea Open final loss to Anders Antonsen
Singapore men’s badminton team to learn from 3-0 loss to Japan in Asian Games round of 16 National badminton player Jason Teh in action during the men’s team round of 16 at the Hangzhou Asian Games. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Kimberly Kwek UPDATED SEP 29, 2023, 12:52 AM SGT HANGZHOU – The crowd at the Binjiang Gymnasium appeared unanimous in their support as loud chants rang out for Singapore’s Jason Teh. The spectators wanted a fight and Teh obliged, albeit briefly. With the Republic already 2-0 down in the round of 16 men’s team event on Thursday, world No. 83 Teh was battling to keep whatever slim hopes of advancing to the Asian Games quarter-finals alive. He had lost the first game 21-16 to Japan’s Kanta Tsuneyama and was trailing 17-20 in the second, but Teh dug deep to save seven match points against his 15th-ranked opponent. But Tsuneyama proved too strong and eventually won 26-24 to seal his country’s spot in the last eight. Japan were bronze medallists at the 2018 Asiad. Teh said: “I gave my all today, but I don’t know why I’m feeling a bit fatigued today. If you play with Japanese players, it’s important to be really fit because they don’t have a lot of unforced errors and their defence was really good. “A lot of my attacking, I followed up but I made a lot of unforced errors because I’m really tired. It was either unforced errors or my follow-up shot quality was not very good and he had a lot of good chances to counter. “There were no regrets for this match. He’s a world-class player, so there’s a lot to learn from him.” While world No. 9 Loh Kean Yew had started his match strongly to lead Kenta Nishimoto 21-17, the 12th-ranked Japanese fought back and prevailed in the next two games 21-14, 21-9. Loh said: “It’s disappointing, it could’ve been a lot better. He played very well, was very consistent and he kept up the intensity. As he gained confidence, it was harder to play against him.” Loh Kean Yew in action against Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto on Sept 28, 2023. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG The men’s doubles pair of Loh Kean Hean and Andy Kwek also said they needed to work on their consistency after falling 21-10, 21-10 to Japan’s 2021 world champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi. Kean Hean said: “We really played our best, there were a lot of nice rallies and shots… “We need to work on our consistency because they did better than us, so we need to work harder because the difference in standards is still there. The takeaway is we do play our best and now it’s how to move forward.” Andy Kwek (left) and Loh Kean Hean in action against Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan, on Sept 28, 2023. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Kwek added: “We just wanted to do our best against the former world champions. We had a pretty good start in both sets, but it’s about how we maintain our consistency throughout the game and how we make those interesting rallies consistent throughout the whole match.”
Singapore badminton player Jin Yujia excited about Hangzhou homecoming Singapore's women's doubles badminton player Jin Yujia is excited to return to her hometown of Hangzhou for the Asian Games. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Kimberly Kwek UPDATED 8 HOURS AGO HANGZHOU – It has been four years since Jin Yujia was last in her home town in the Binjiang district of Hangzhou owing to the pandemic. The 26-year-old, who moved to Singapore when she was 11, finally returned last Friday ahead of the women’s doubles badminton event at the Asian Games, although it is a place that has transformed significantly. She said: “I’m quite excited to be back. It’s a place that I feel I’m familiar with, but is foreign to me at the same time because I’ve been away for the majority of my life. “Back then, the area was considered the outskirts, it wasn’t really the central area. But as Hangzhou developed, it kept expanding and the area got bigger.” In place of old houses that stood about six storeys high are high-rise apartments and office buildings. Her old home was demolished in 2018. Jin and doubles partner Crystal Wong, who are ranked 28th in the world, will begin their campaign in the round of 32 on Tuesday. They face Malaysia’s world No. 9 Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharanat the Binjiang Gymnasium. Jin spent most of her childhood in Hangzhou, before attending a sports school in the Xihu district when she was in Primary 3. She would go on runs in the area, with landmarks like Baoshi Mountain forming the backdrop for those training sessions. However, when she was 11, her mother Yang Nianhong, decided to send her to Singapore to study. Having experienced how competitive the environment was as a professional badminton player in China, she also wanted her daughter to focus on her studies to have more options in the future. Jin went over alone, before Yang, herself a national player for China in the early 1990s, joined her six months later. Her father relocated to Singapore only a few years ago after retiring. Jin would visit Hangzhou every year during the December holidays for about two weeks, occasionally spending time at places like West Lake, which is a Unesco World Cultural Heritage site, and Lingyin Temple. Before the Asian Games, postponed from 2022 due to Covid-19, Jin had been following the news online and on social media about how the city had changed and she did not recognise the landmarks in the images that came up. She said: “In some ways, I actually am quite excited to see the development of Hangzhou. They’ve built quite a lot for these Asian Games and the new stadium, everything is new.” Her parents also travelled to Hangzhou, with Yang stopping by her home town of Longquan to visit her family, hoping to watch her daughter in action but were unable to get tickets to the badminton matches. But Jin is looking forward to possibly seeing old friends from her old badminton club in the crowd. They had expressed interest to support her ever since the dates for the competition were confirmed. On her Asiad debut, Jin, who has a 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medal from the mixed team event, said: “I’m quite looking forward to everything – the place, people and volunteers. I’m sure they will be quite welcoming and China is always top-notch in organising any Games.”
Loh Kean Yew falls at first hurdle of Asian Games badminton men’s singles event 1 of 2 Loh Kean Yew lost 21-12, 21-14 to Malaysian Ng Tze Yong in the men's singles round of 32 on Tuesday. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED 11 HOURS AGO FacebookTwitter HANGZHOU – Despite some kids chanting his name and a few male fans trying to will him into a decider, Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew just could not mount a comeback as he lost 21-12, 21-14 to Malaysian Ng Tze Yong in the badminton men’s singles round of 32 on Tuesday. The world No. 9 was visibly disappointed at the end of the match as he hung his head at the net while shaking the 19th-ranked Ng’s hand. Reflecting on the premature end to his Asian Games debut, Loh, 26, said: “There are a lot of emotions now, mostly negative. Results matter and I’m also not happy with my processes during the match. It sucks because this is far apart from what I want to achieve and, in this match, I was far apart from him. “He played a very steady game and I didn’t. I’ve been trying to work and improvise my game and I haven’t been in good form. I tried to do what I can, but it wasn’t enough.” It has been a roller-coaster year for Loh, who is still looking for a follow-up title after his 2021 world championships triumph. While he made the finals of the Asian Championships and Korea Open, he also fell at the first hurdle in five out of 13 BWF World Tour tournaments in 2023, and now the Asian Games. Trailing from the start against a defensively sound Ng, who now leads their head-to-head record 3-1, Loh looked subdued and never really got going with his trademark smashes, while his opponent managed to score with angled drives. From 10-11 down in the opener, Loh won just two of the next 12 points. In the second game, he strung together four points to reduce the deficit to 14-18 but Ng, 23, proved to be the more consistent player as he earned a last-16 tie against Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen on Wednesday. National singles coach Kelvin Ho said: “We did not create enough momentum to put Tze Yong on the back foot. We were planning for more consistency and variation to make the opponent uncomfortable, but the shot quality wasn’t good enough.” The luck of the men’s singles draw also threw up other tantalising clashes as Taiwanese world No. 13 Chou Tien-chen eliminated Indonesia’s defending champion and world No. 5 Jonatan Christie 21-17, 21-17, while Thailand’s world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn was also taken to a decider by Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Dang before winning 17-21, 21-18, 21-15. Malaysia would end up with the bragging rights after they won both Causeway derbies at the Binjiang Gymnasium on Tuesday, with 27th-ranked Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong losing 21-12, 21-16 to world No. 9 Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan. The Singaporeans put up a stronger fight in the second game and caught up to 16-16, but their opponents’ strong defence and Tan’s formidable smashes – the 23-year-old holds the world record for the fastest female smash at 438kmh – helped them seal victory. Wong said: “We tried to be more aggressive in attack, and confident in our defence, and that helped in the second game.” Jin added: “We played a decent game but there are more areas to work on and learn from our opponents, like how they set up and follow up on their attacks with very smooth rotations that make it very threatening for opponents.” Earlier in the day, compatriot Jason Teh made it to the last 16 after beating Maldivian Ahmed Nibal 21-8, 21-12. The world No. 83 faces Indonesia’s top seed and world No. 2 Anthony Ginting on Wednesday. In the women’s singles, world No. 22 Yeo Jia Min beat Kazakh Kamila Smagulova 21-7, 21-7 and will meet China’s Olympic champion and third-ranked Chen Yufei for a place in the quarter-finals. Former world No. 1 juniors Nge Joo Jie and Johann Prajogo are also in action in the men’s doubles. The 106th-ranked pair take on Nepal’s Jivan Acharya and Bishnu Katuwal while 30th-ranked mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Jessica Tan face Hong Kong’s world No. 20 Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet.
Singapore badminton doubles pair of Nge and Prajogo advance to Asian Games quarter-finals Singapore's Nge Joo Jie and Johann Prajogo. (Photo: SportSG/Weixiang Lim) Matthew Mohan @MatthewMohanCNA 04 Oct 2023 06:15PM (Updated: 04 Oct 2023 06:23PM) Bookmark WhatsAppTelegramFacebookTwitterEmailLinkedIn HANGZHOU: Youngsters Nge Joo Jie and Johann Prajogo will be Singapore’s only representatives in the quarter-finals of the badminton tournament at the Asian Games after they eased to victory on Wednesday (Oct 4). At the Binjiang Gymnasium, the doubles pair of Nge and Prajogo, both 19, beat Nepal’s Jivan Acharya and Bishnu Katuwal 21-11, 21-4 in 19 minutes. “We played how we wanted to play,” said Prajogo. “We’ve been fortunate with this (Games) draw. We just want to take this chance and do our best,” added Nge. Months after facing the biggest opponents of their budding careers at the SEA Games in the form of Indonesia’s Yeremia Rambitan and Pramudya Kusumawardana (world No 21), the Singaporean pair will get the chance to go head to head against one of the world’s top men's pairs. They face India’s of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in the last eight on Thursday. The Indian pair are ranked third in the world, while the Singaporeans are 103 spots below. “From the SEA Games, we can see that we can at least stand our ground, play our game and make the scores quite close,” said Prajogo. “We’ll do the same tomorrow. We’ll just focus point by point and not think about the outcome.” A win would guarantee the pair at least a joint-bronze. Related: Tears as South Korea whitewash China for 'precious' badminton gold Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew out of Asian Games after loss to Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong In the men’s singles round of 16, Singapore’s Jason Teh fell 21-14, 21-18 to Indonesia’s top seed and world No 2 Anthony Ginting. This was the first career meeting between the world No 83 and Ginting, with the 26-year-old taking the victory in 42 minutes. Teh was Singapore’s lone representative in the men's singles event after Loh Kean Yew was eliminated from the round of 32 after a loss to Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong on Tuesday. In the women’s singles, world number 22 Yeo Jia Min gave China's Chen Yufei a huge scare early on, but eventually succumbed 21-19, 7-21, 9-21 in 58 minutes. Chen, is the reigning Olympic champion and world No 3. “I have to be a bit more quick in how I adapt to difficulties on court,” said Yeo. “Now I’m still not really matured enough to deal with the situations, I have to work on that.” In the mixed doubles, the pair of Terry Hee and Jessica Tan were beaten by Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet. The Singaporean pair, who have never beaten Tang and Tse, went down 21-7, 21-11. “Our opponents played very well today,” said Tan. “They were very good in controlling their rhythm and breaking our momentum … Throughout the game, they played at a pace that we just weren’t able to break out of.” Hee and Tan, who won the Commonwealth Games gold last year, are ranked 30th in the world, while their opponents are 10 spots above them. “It’s quite sad that we ended our Games like this because it’s not the way we want to play,” added Hee. Catch the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 LIVE with 6 dedicated channels on mewatch. Sign in now at mewatch.sg/asiangames to catch all the action for FREE, or catch highlights on Mediacorp Entertainment on YouTube. Source: CNA/fh(gr)
Only teenagers remain for Singapore in Asian Games badminton q-finals Singapore's Johann Prajogo (left) Nge Joo Jie in action against Nepal's Jivan Acharya and Bishnu Katwal in the Asian Games men's doubles on Oct 4. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED OCT 4, 2023, 9:42 PM SGT HANGZHOU – Former junior world No. 1s Nge Joo Jie and Johann Prajogo are the last Singaporeans standing in the Asian Games badminton competition, after the 106th-ranked men’s doubles pair cruised past unranked Nepalese Jivan Acharya and Bishnu Katuwal 21-11, 21-4 on Wednesday to progress to the quarter-finals. Their reward is a showdown against India’s world No. 3s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty at the Binjiang Gymnasium on Thursday, though it will be a tall order for them to reach the semi-finals and claim a historic doubles bronze. Singapore only Asiad badminton medal was a women’s team bronze from Doha 2006. Prajogo, 19, said: “We are excited to play against a top pair, we will give it our all and see how it goes. There’s no pressure because we are absolutely the underdogs. Nge, 19, added: “Tomorrow’s opponents are hard to break down, so today we tried to emphasise more on shot placement to move our opponents around and make things uncomfortable for them, which we will try to replicate tomorrow.” The Republic’s other badminton players exited in the round of 16 on Wednesday. Though for nearly 25 minutes, Yeo Jia Min silenced the partisan crowd in the 3,000-seater venue as the world No. 22 took the first game against China’s Olympic champion Chen Yufei. For 20 minutes Yeo Jia Min silenced the partisan crowd in the 3,000-seater venue as she took the first game against China’s Olympic champion Chen Yufei. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Despite not having won a game in three previous encounters, Yeo refused to be overawed by the occasion. In the closing stages of the opener, she left the world No. 3 sitting on the floor before leaving her opponent rooted with a deceptive shot to make it 16-16. Yeo defended superbly and claimed the game in comical fashion when her racket slipped out of her hand, and Chen’s return went into the net. But the home favourite prevailed eventually, clawing back to win 19-21, 21-7, 21-9 in 59 minutes to set up a last-eight meeting against South Korea’s world No. 18 Kim Ga-eun. Yeo, 24, said: “I made fewer mistakes and she was a bit nervous in the first game. After that, I couldn’t find the lengths in my shots, that broke my momentum and I started being more impatient. I’m very disappointed I didn’t play well. “I have been trying to improve my play and be more all-rounded, so I can play against different styles but I have to be quicker to adapt to difficulties on court. “I’m still not mature enough to deal with such situations and I have to work on that.” In the men’s singles, 83rd-ranked Jason Teh put up a strong fight against Indonesia’s top seed and world No. 2 Anthony Ginting, but was ultimately outclassed 21-14, 21-18. Teh, 23, said: “Until the first half of the second game, I couldn’t get used to the pace because I seldom face such world-class players. “The quality of his shots, his speed and endurance were beyond my imagination, and I managed to adapt and find winners only later on.” 83rd-ranked Jason Teh (above) put up a strong fight against Indonesia’s top seed and world No. 2 Anthony Ginting. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG The gulf in standards also told in the mixed doubles when 30th-ranked Terry Hee and Jessica Tan lost 21-7, 21-11 to Hong Kong’s world No. 20 Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet, despite Tang having issues with her vision in the second game. Hee said: “They were the better pair today and nothing worked for us. We tried to increase the pace but they managed to pull open the play and slow it down, which is not our game.” Terry Hee and Jessica Tan (above) lost 21-7, 21-11 to Hong Kong’s world No. 20 Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Besides Commonwealth Games champions Hee and Tan, there were other notable exits as Taiwanese world No. 4 Tai Tzu-ying, the defending women’s singles champion, crashed out after losing 21-16, 21-14 to Japan’s 20th-ranked Aya Ohori. In the men’s singles, Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia also stunned Thailand’s world champion and world No. 4 Kunlavut Vitidsarn 10-21, 21-19, 21-6 to set up a last-eight clash with India’s seventh-ranked H.S. Prannoy. Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia (above) stunned Thailand’s world champion and world No. 4 Kunlavut Vitidsarn 10-21, 21-19, 21-6. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG The 16th-ranked Lee has been under fire for poor results and a spat with Malaysian media over a botched mixed zone interview last Thursday, which sparked a strongly worded response from his management team. The 25-year-old told The Straits Times: “There was pent-up frustration and things I needed to say. I’ve said my piece and I just want to move on and do my best on the court.”
Singapore badminton still pushing to reach top level, says SBA technical director ST PHOTO: Chong Jun Liang Nge Joo Jie (second from top) and Johann Pragjogo (top) of Singapore action against Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty of India during the men’s doubles quarterfinal in the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China on October 5, 2023 The Straits Times David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED 8 HOURS AGO HANGZHOU – As far as reaching the higher echelons of world badminton is concerned, Singapore are “knocking on the door, pushing it open, but not stepping through it yet”. Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew made the analogy after Nge Joo Jie and Johann Prajogo’s 21-7, 21-9 loss to India’s world No. 3s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in Thursday’s men’s doubles quarter-finals ended the Republic’s participation in the Asian Games badminton competition. Earlier, Yeo Jia Min (women’s singles), Terry Hee and Jessica Tan (mixed doubles), Jason Teh (men’s singles) fell at the round of 16, while Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong (women’s doubles), Loh Kean Hean and Andy Kwek (men’s doubles) and Wong and Kwek (mixed doubles) did not make it past the last 32. The Republic had also lost to Japan in the men’s team first round but the biggest surprise was 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew’s round-of-32 defeat by Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong, which Andrew described as disappointing. He added: “We are working quite hard with him on various things. There have been good performances from Kean Yew at the world championships, China Open, Korea Open and Asia Championships, and disappointing ones. “This is a sport where the difference in the top 20 is so minimal, where you can lose if you are 1 or 2 per cent off. It takes something special to be able to consistently succeed. “So now we have to reinvent, but he is up for it... Other than his game play, we are trying to get him to be more consistent in his shots, more steady in his state of mind, and more focused so he can go out there and perform.” Andrew revealed that a sports psychologist has been engaged to work with Kean Yew since August and was with him in Hangzhou to make observations. The Englishman dismissed online suggestions that national singles coach Kelvin Ho is no longer the right man to take Kean Yew to the next level as “nonsense”. He said: “The players trust him, and he works incredibly hard. It’s easy for Singaporeans to bash another Singaporean doing his best. I’m a foreigner, but you don’t always have to get in foreign people for the job.” There is also concern over the form of Commonwealth Games champions Hee and Tan, who have made it to the quarter-finals in just one out of 16 tournaments in 2023. Andrew said the plan is to send the duo to lower-tier events and a nine-day training stint in Germany to try to rediscover the winning feeling and gather precious Olympic qualification points. He said: “We want them to have fun doing what they like and get enjoyment out of what they are doing, because it hurts them more than anybody when they are not getting the wins, because of the level they know they can bring to the table.” There were also some encouraging signs, as Yeo took a game off China’s Olympic champion Chen Yufei, and Teh pushed Indonesia’s world No. 2 Anthony Ginting. But the wait for a first Asiad badminton medal since the 2006 women’s team bronze goes on. Andrew said: “We have been making strides over the last two years, when Jia Min was our top-ranked player, Kean Yew was still playing lower-tier tournaments in 2021, and Terry and Jessica didn’t even have a world ranking. “Since then, we have had players breaking into the top 30 in each event, even if we do not quite have the depth now. We are knocking on the door, pushing it open, but not stepping through it yet. Kean Yew has put himself in that position, Jia Min is just starting to step through, but the others are just pushing it open and not yet making the step up.” As for 19-year-olds Nge and Prajogo, who should break into the top 100 after the Games, it is back to lower-tier events before national service enlistment in 2024, but their Hangzhou stint has whetted their appetite. Nge said: “It’s a wonderful experience because these are players we normally see only on TV and now they are warming up next to us and we are playing against them.” Prajogo added: “The consistency of their shots, the pace and angles, which they control very well are things we are not used to and we need to learn from.” MORE ON THIS TOPIC Only teenagers remain for Singapore in Asian Games badminton q-finals Thailand’s badminton world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn is zen-like even in defeat
Loh Kean Yew earns morale-boosting win over world No. 3 Kodai Naraoka in Denmark Open Singapore's ninth-ranked Loh Kean Yew bounced back from a disappointing Asian Games to beat Japan's world No. 3 Kodai Naraoka in the first round of the Denmark Open. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED 10 HOURS AGO SINGAPORE – Bouncing back from a disappointing Asian Games campaign in which he fell at the first hurdle in the men’s singles and team events, Singapore’s badminton star Loh Kean Yew beat world No. 3 Kodai Naraoka 19-21, 21-6, 21-19 in the opening round of the Denmark Open on Tuesday. Following the 80-minute match, the 26-year-old will take on 10th-ranked Anders Antonsen in the round of 16 of the US$850,000 (S$1.16 million) event on Thursday. They each have two wins, with the Dane victorious in July’s Korea Open final and Loh exacting revenge in the second round of the China Open in September. After extending his head-to-head record against world championships silver medallist Naraoka to 4-0, Loh told The Straits Times: “This win is important for my confidence and morale, and any win is an achievement given my current form.” Despite a spirited comeback triumph, the world No. 9 was in no mood to get ahead of himself. After all he has endured a roller-coaster year, as well as questions over his form and title drought following his 2021 world title. While he made the finals of the Asian championships and Korea Open, he also lost in the first round in five of 13 BWF World Tour tournaments in 2023, which has put his place in the top 10 at risk. But at the Jyske Bank Arena in Odense, Loh showed he is made of sterner stuff. Another early exit looked to be on the cards when he let slip advantages of 14-8 and 19-16 to drop the first game, as Naraoka repelled the Singaporean’s devastating smashes. Loh’s own response was a 21-6 blitz to claim the second game, but he had to dig deep in the decider to advance, recovering from a 15-10 deficit to remain unbeaten against Japan’s top player. What was particularly pleasing was how he could remain patient and stick to his strategy of pulling Naraoka out of position before going for the kill, as he said: “I tried to keep a clear mind and focus on my own game plan instead of the score, and I’m happy I could do so and come out with the win.” In the women’s singles, 21st-ranked Yeo Jia Min could not produce an upset in a tough draw against Taiwanese world No. 4 Tai Tzu-ying, who won 21-11, 22-20 in 35 minutes. National singles head coach Kelvin Ho said: “Kean Yew played calmly and controlled his choice of shots and the momentum well. He went through his processes well and was consistent throughout the match. “We had just one week to train after returning from the Asian Games, and we are trying to help him be more clear and proactive and less predictable in his gameplay. “As for Jia Min, she played well in the second game to match a strong opponent, but could still have adapted quicker. There were some parts where she did well to take the initiative and change the pace to pressure the opponent, and we will work on achieving more consistency with these strengths.” Aside from Naraoka, other high-profile exits included China’s Asian Games men’s singles champion Li Shifeng, who lost 12-21, 21-6, 21-17 to Frenchman Toma Junior Popov. His compatriots and world No. 3 men’s doubles pair Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang were also beaten 18-21, 21-19, 21-18 by home pair Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard, while Japan’s world No. 4 women’s doubles duo Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota lost 21-15, 21-23, 21-18 to Chinese duo Li Yijing and Luo Xumin. Indonesia’s seventh-ranked Jonatan Christie was also ousted 21-17, 21-12 by Taiwanese world No. 13 Chou Tien-chen.
BWF Denmark Open 2023: Loh Kean Yew and Lee Zii Jia advance to quarter-finals as Viktor Axelsen withdraws due to injury Badminton - BWF Denmark Open 2023: Carolina Marin, Loh Kean Yew, Lee Zii Jia and Viktor Axelsen round two results (olympics.com) Women's singles 2016 Olympic champion Carolina Marin and two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu are also through to the quarter-finals. By Sebastian Mikkelsen Updated on 19 October 2023 23:47 GMT+8 Singapore's badminton ace Loh Kean Yew secured a hard-fought victory against local favourite Anders Antonsen on Thursday (19 October), advancing to the quarter-finals at the BWF Denmark Open 2023. The opening game was an extremely tight affair, with neither shuttler wanting to give anything away. Ultimately, Loh managed to get a 20-17 lead, converting his third game point to take the opener. The second period was equally tight, with the 2021 world champion initially taking the lead, going into the mid-game interval at 11-8. Despite retiring from the semi-finals at the Arctic Open last week due to injury, Antonsen showed remarkable determination and managed to level the score at 14-14. With a more aggressive play style, Loh regained momentum. The world No. 9 converted his third match point, sealing the victory with a score of 21-19, 21-19 after 53 minutes of intense play. Next, Loh takes on world No. 4 Shi Yu Qi of the People’s Republic of China in the quarter-finals on Friday (20 October). In the first round, Loh staged an impressive comeback to eliminate third-seeded Naraoka Kodai of Japan with a final score of 19-21, 21-6, 21-19. Reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen withdrew from his round of 16 clash with Lee Zii Jia due to injury. The Malaysian star now awaits Japan's Nishimoto Kenta in the quarter-finals. How to qualify for badminton at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained Badminton Denmark Open 2023: How to watch Lee Zii Jia live in action BWF Arctic Open 2023: Lee Zii Jia overpowers Ng Tze Yong to claim first title in 17 months Olympic Membership | Free Live Stream Sports & Original Series - join now! Loh Kean Yew: Top facts you might not know about Singapore's badminton star Elsewhere, in women's singles 2016 Olympic champion Carolina Marin advanced to the quarter-finals after beating Sung Shuo Yun of Chinese Taipei. Spain's badminton star had trouble with the world No. 35, but ultimately claimed the victory 22-20, 22-20. Marin began the match on the front foot and raced to an 8-2 lead. However, Sung slowly found her feet after the mid-game interval. The three-time world champion failed to convert eight game points, which Sung took advantage of to equal the score at 20-20, before Marin eventually wrapped up the game on her ninth game point. During the second game, the Spaniard was still struggling to find her rhythm, and Sung took a 6-11 lead into the interval. Despite trailing, the six-time European champion managed to keep a cool head and, after scoring five consecutive points to 16-16, Marin was looking to finish the match after two games. Marin faced some resistance, as Sung got up 17-19, but the world No. 6 took back control, and after 57 minutes, she clinched the victory on her second match point. In the quarter-finals, Marin will face world No. 4 Tai Tzu Ying. The shuttler from Chinese Taipei defeated Busanan Ongbamrungphan in straight games 22-10, 21-12. Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu also booked her place in the quarter-finals.The Indian got the better of world No. 7 Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia 18-21, 21-15, 21-13 to set up an encounter with Thaliland's Supanida Katethong. The BWF Denmark Open 2023 is a Super 750 event with qualifying points for the Paris 2024 Olympics on offer. The tournament concludes on Sunday 22 October, with daily coverage live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app (territorial restrictions apply).
Loh Kean Yew claims another win against top-10 opponent, into Denmark Open q-finals Loh Kean Yew beat the 2020 Denmark Open champion Anders Antonsen in front of his home crowd 21-19, 21-19 in the round of 16 on Thursday. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED 7 HOURS AGO SINGAPORE – With a backhand kill, defiant shout and fist pump, Singapore’s top badminton player Loh Kean Yew progressed to the quarter-finals of the Denmark Open after beating home favourite Anders Antonsen 21-19, 21-19 on Thursday. The win over the 10th-ranked Dane is world No. 9 Loh’s second top-10 scalp in three days. He had conquered Japan’s world No. 3 Kodai Naraoka in three games in the first round of the US$850,000 (S$1.16 million) event on Tuesday. Another one lies in wait at the Jyske Bank Arena in Odense, after China’s world No. 4 Shi Yuqi overcame Thailand’s 33rd-ranked Kantaphon Wangcharoen 21-7, 21-23, 21-18 to set up a meeting with the 2021 world champion, who trails 2-1 in their head-to-head record. Loh, who has had a roller-coaster season with five first-round exits in 13 BWF World Tour events against two finals at the Asian championships and Korea Open, said: “I’m happy and encouraged to get another win against a top opponent. It wasn’t easy, but I’m glad I could stick to my processes for most of the match and keep calm when I needed to. “I just want to take it one match, one game, and one point at a time and play as best as I can.” In the opener of the tight, 53-minute encounter against Antonsen, most of the points that were short and won before the interval were against the serve, before Loh went on a three-point run to lead 11-10. The Singaporean was able to go on a couple of mini-runs and get over a wrong line call, after he ran out of challenges, before sealing the game on his third game point. Antonsen, who had retired from the previous week’s Arctic Open semi-final against eventual winner Lee Zii Jia, showed no signs of his left hamstring complaint. He fought hard to stay alive in the second game of his home Open, recovering from 5-1 and 12-8 down to draw level at 14-14. But Loh struck a major psychological blow by claiming the next point following a 44-shot rally. With both players showing nerves with a series of unforced errors, it was the visitor who was victorious on his third match point. National singles head coach Kelvin Ho said: “Kean Yew was able to both be patient and take the initiative against an opponent who is strong in controlling the play at the front. “He was ready for Anders’ key shots such as the clip smash and net play, and made him uncomfortable with good variation. “He will need to continue to be clear in his game plan and control the momentum of the match.” Elsewhere in the men’s singles draw, Denmark’s world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen withdrew with a left foot injury to hand Malaysian world No. 11 Lee a walkover. Lee has a last-eight clash with Japan’s 14th-ranked Kenta Nishimoto, who beat Taiwanese world No. 13 Chou Tien-chen 10-21, 21-19, 21-14. Meanwhile at the US$120,000 Abu Dhabi Masters, Singapore’s top mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Jessica Tan beat India’s Tarun Kona and Krishna Kudaravalli 21-9, 21-13 in the round of 16 on Thursday. The world No. 28s will meet Germany’s 66th-ranked Patrick Scheiel and Franziska Volkmann in Friday’s quarter-finals. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Loh Kean Yew earns morale-boosting win over world No. 3 Kodai Naraoka in Denmark Open Singapore Sports School fires badminton coach after death of 14-year-old student
‘We made too many errors’: Terry Hee, Jessica Tan lose in Abu Dhabi Masters badminton final Singapore's Terry Hee and Jessica Tan lost in the Abu Dhabi Masters mixed doubles final on Sunday. They fell 20-22, 21-17, 21-18 to Denmark’s Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch. PHOTO: UAE BADMINTON FEDERATION/ FACEBOOK David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED OCT 23, 2023, 12:28 AM SGT SINGAPORE – As Terry Hee’s return sailed wide, Jessica Tan dropped her badminton racket on the ground in disappointment. They had come close but ran out of comebacks, losing 20-22, 21-17, 21-18 to Denmark’s Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch in the final of the US$120,000 (S$165,000) Abu Dhabi Masters on Sunday. The Singaporeans, who are married to each other, were seeking their third BWF World Tour mixed doubles title and were in their first final since they won a historic Commonwealth Games gold in August 2022. The world No. 28 pairing will have to settle for US$4,560 in prize money as well as precious ranking points in their bid to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Tan said: “I’ve seen improvement in certain areas and will continue to sharpen our game. We can still improve on remaining clear-headed, especially during crucial points.” Tan and Hee, who beat Germany’s Jan Volker and Stine Kuspert 15-21, 21-17, 22-20 in Saturday’s semi-finals, started on the back foot on Sunday, trailing 4-12 with a series of loose shots and poor judgment. But once they clicked into gear, Hee conjured some ferocious attacks and deft diagonal drop-shots while Tan played some solid defence to overturn the big deficit and lead 16-14. There was controversy, though, when Vestergaard’s drive clearly went wide but was called in for the Danes to lead 18-16. Hee and Tan’s protests were in vain as the Hawk-Eye video review was not used at this event. Nevertheless, they kept their cool, saving two game points before taking the opening game. Their 41st-ranked opponents regrouped and narrowly edged the second game to force a third. The decider was a nervy one filled with service errors and more line calls against the Singaporeans as they fell short of a ninth career title as a combination. Hee refused to blame the questionable calls for the loss, saying: “They are part of the game... below-par performance was the main reason. There are positives but we need to learn to control our shot quality and reduce our unforced errors.” Their next competition is the Oct 24-29 French Open and they face Scotland’s 40th-ranked Adam Hall and Julie MacPherson in the first round. National doubles head coach Paulus Firman hopes that going deep in the Abu Dhabi Super 100 event – the lowest of six tiers on BWF World Tour – will help restore the duo’s self-confidence. Before this competition, Tan and Hee have reached the quarter-finals only once in their last 20 tournaments, a run that stretched to the Commonwealth Games. Firman said: “It didn’t really work this week because they still lacked composure in controlling the situation and didn’t become champions. They did better than yesterday, but would still panic in some situations which makes them lose ideas in their play. “This resulted in them being too forceful in their attack, and caused them to doubt their defensive plays. They have tried their best but haven’t succeeded. They need to be more confident in themselves and their own abilities. “We are trying to fix their weaknesses from a physical, technical and mental perspective, especially their communication and self-confidence when competing. We hope this run can be successful in helping them in these aspects.” MORE ON THIS TOPIC Singapore mixed doubles badminton pair Terry Hee, Jessica Tan in Abu Dhabi Masters final Loh Kean Yew claims another win against top-10 opponent, into Denmark Open q-finals
Loh Kean Yew’s Denmark Open run ends in q-final loss to defending champ Singapore's Loh Kean Yew lost 21-11, 21-19 to defending men’ singles champion Shi Yuqi, of China. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED OCT 21, 2023, 6:43 PM SGT SINGAPORE – The boyish smile remained, but after the post-match pleasantries, the pain and puzzlement on the face of Singapore’s top badminton player Loh Kean Yew was unmistakable, as he walked off the court flicking his hand and muttering to himself. For what looked like a promising week of top-10 scalps at the Denmark Open had ended in a 21-11, 21-19 defeat by defending men’ singles champion Shi Yuqi on Friday. Shi will go on to face fellow Chinese and world No. 22 Weng Hong Yang in the last four on Saturday, with the other semi-final being contested between Malaysia’s world No. 11 Lee Zii Jia and Hong Kong’s 18th-ranked Lee Cheuk Yiu. As for Loh, there will be lessons learnt as he prepares for the Oct 24-29 French Open. There is no shame in losing to world No. 4 Shi in a Super 750 event, the third tier on the Badminton World Federation World Tour. But after beating Japan’s world No. 3 Kodai Naraoka and Denmark’s 10th-ranked Anders Antonsen earlier, the frustration will come from knowing he is still blowing hot and cold and remains short of putting together a consistently strong week. The 26-year-old, who cashed in for US$4,675 (S$6,415) in his sixth quarter-final appearance of the year, told The Straits Times: “It’s always disappointing to lose. Unlike the previous rounds, I couldn’t find the right balance between being patient and aggressive today. “Overall, I played a few good games this week which is a positive, but I’m still trying to get used to certain aspects of my game play, which is still a work in progress.” At the Jyske Bank Arena in Odense, the world No. 9 was too passive and reactive and committed plenty of unforced errors in the opening game against Shi, who barely put a foot wrong despite looking vulnerable in his round-of-16 win over Thailand’s 33rd-ranked Kantaphon Wangcharoen on Thursday. After smashing wide to miss the chance to make it 5-5, the Singaporean’s game unravelled. The lack of variation and front-court authority was ruthlessly punished by his opponent who claimed 10 out of the next 11 points to comfortably see out the first game. Loh tried to be more proactive in the second game, unleashing a torrent of smashes that gave him a 9-6 lead, but Shi’s ability to build and finish off rallies led to another strong run as the 27-year-old won 10 of the next 13 points for a 16-12 advantage. After throwing away the lead, Loh seemed to be able to play more freely, and looked to have gained a psychological edge with delightful backhand shots to make it 16-16 and then 19-17. But it wasn’t to be as Shi capitalised on his outstanding net shots to win the match on the back of four straight points. National singles head coach Kelvin Ho said: “Kean Yew was too passive in the first game and wanted to control the front court too much, so he was caught out of position and posed no danger in the rear court. “The second game was better in terms of speed and overall control, but he still needs to improve in his choice of shots and ability to control the momentum. “He has done well to be unpredictable in the earlier rounds, but needs to find the delicate balance between being patient and aggressive.” Meanwhile at the US$120,000 Abu Dhabi Masters, Singapore’s top mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Jessica Tan beat Germany’s 66th-ranked Patrick Scheiel and Franziska Volkmann 21-15, 21-8 in Friday’s quarter-finals. The world No. 28s will meet another German duo, 47th-ranked Jan Colin Voelker and Stine Kuespert in the semi-finals on Saturday.
