Singapore’s world No. 14 shuttler Loh Kean Yew might be staring at his best shot at a maiden KFF Singapore Badminton Open title after he came from a set down to beat Chinese Taipei’s world No.18 Chi Yu Jen 2-1 (16-21, 21-6, 21-8) at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in the men’s singles quarter-finals.
Loh continued his fine form after dispatching India’s 37th-ranked Srikanth Kidambi and 35th-ranked H.S. Prannoy earlier in the tournament, breaking the hoodoo against Chi, whom he had yet to beat before Friday’s (May 29) encounter (zero wins, two losses).
But Loh made sure to show his appreciation for the partisan 6,260-strong crowd for giving the much-needed “boost” to see out the victory.
“Big kudos to the crowd. The spectators were cheering so loudly, and I think the opponent was also affected. So I am very thankful for them and for their support, making the whole atmosphere very lively and giving me a boost,” he said.
After conceding the first game 21-16, no thanks to a couple of unforced errors on the Singaporean’s part, Loh rode the deafening cheers of the vociferous home support to muster a comeback in style, limiting his opponent to single digits in the remaining two games.
Up 12-6 in the second game, Loh reeled off nine straight points to level the match before cruising through the decider, where he never trailed once.
“Yu Jen has always been a good player, and he is very consistent and stable, so it’s very hard to play against him,” Loh said, adding that he struggled with the draft in the opening game.
Raising the tempo of the match proved decisive for the home favourite as he seized back control of the contest.
“We were both trying to restrict each other, so we both tried to change the game and kept changing.”
The Singaporean’s trademark fist pumps soon became a familiar sight, with flashes of a smile breaking across his face as he wrapped up the match.
“(I am) happy to win in a Super 750 quarter-final and qualify for the semi-final. It makes it even more meaningful to win in Singapore.”
The 28-year-old’s victory also meant he matched his best result at his home Open after his 2022 semi-final loss to Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting. He will face Japan’s world No.19 Koki Watanabe on Saturday (May 30) with the knowledge that no seeds remain in the draw.
“As I said since day one, in the top 30, anyone can beat anyone. So it’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be one match at a time and just stay focused.”
In the other semi-final, Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan will take on Frenchman Alex Lanier, who beat third seed Anders Antonsen in the quarters.
