Singapore's Loh Kean Yew advances to the round of 16 while Yeo Jia Min and Terry Hee and Tan Wei Han bow out of the KFF Singapore Badminton Open
28 MAY 2024, SINGAPORE - Day one of the KFF Singapore Badminton Open saw all four of Singapore's shuttlers take to the court in three back-to-back matches at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Loh Kean Yew thrilled the rambunctious home crowd by emerging victorious against China's Lu Guang Zu in a nail-biting three-set clash.
The two players took the first set to the wire and beyond, as it eventually ended 25-27 to Lu. Both Lu and Loh had their own opportunities to take the first set but threw away their respective match points.
Though the 27-year-old from Xuzhou, China's determination to smash his way through was fruitful, the loss only ignited a fire in the Singaporean shuttler.
Roared on by the home crowd at every point he won and every shuttle he smashed towards Lu, Loh staged a hard-earned comeback. Despite a tight start to the second set deadlocked at 4-4, Loh eventually took the game 21-15 and forced a third and final set.
The former World Champion ran away with the lead in the third set as Lu's struggles began to show. The 27-year-old Singaporean was ruthless in his smashes, wasting no time in gaining a 10-0 lead before taking the set 21-5. Advancing to the round of 16, Loh will take on Danish powerhouse, Anders Antonsen to vie for a spot in the quarter finals.
“It means even more to win at home and to be able to advance to more rounds. I hope to be able to play in front of the home crowd more. So hopefully, I’ll be able to do well and keep progressing,” shared Loh after his home ground win.
Women's singles shuttler Yeo Jia Min then took to the court after her compatriot's victory. Despite putting up a tough fight against eighth-seed He Bing Jiao, the Singaporean eventually fell to the Chinese shuttler.
Staging her comeback from a nagging ankle injury that's set her back since January this year, the odds never seemed to be in her favour for her home ground tournament. Having never beaten He before in their previous five head-to-heads, the Singaporean lost the first set 21-12.
Come second set, Yeo's spirit radiated throughout the Indoor Stadium — clearly felt in the stands as the crowd rallied her on throughout the entire game. With the fans cheering her on and determination pumping through her, the 25-year-old made history for herself by winning her first-ever set against He.
Full of energy, you wouldn't be able to tell of the injury Yeo was struggling with. It was evident though to the experienced He, who attacked Yeo's injured left side constantly in a bid to outdo her opponent in what should have been an easy win for the Chinese shuttler.
He's frustrations were etched on her face as Yeo eventually fought towards a 23-21 win.
However, the challenge of beating a player like He began to overpower Yeo in the third set. The 27-year-old eventually got herself back on track and triumphed over Yeo in a 21-16 victory.
The entertainment didn't stop there for the home crowd as mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Tan Wei Han then stepped onto the court, greeted once again by a chorus of cheers.
Like Yeo, the pair were dealt with a tough opening round draw. Tan and Hee were up against world champions Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yu Jung.
Seo had already tasted victory earlier in the day, having won in his men's doubles match with partner Kang Min Hyuk. Once again, the Korean triumphed against his opponents.
The Korean pair proved to be too strong for the Singaporeans who never quite found their footing in the game.
In the match that lasted 32 minutes, Hee and Tan lost 21-14, 21-13 in two straight sets, leaving Loh as the only Singaporean to qualify for the next round.
Day one of the KFF Singapore Badminton Open also saw several other world-class players vie for a spot in the round of 16.
As expected, women's singles world number one and Singapore Open defending champion An Se Young triumphed over Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzar 21-14, 21,10.
Current Commonwealth Games women's doubles champions Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan took on Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning on court two.
The Malaysian fan favourites earned themselves their own wave of cheers as they walked onto the court despite the attention being on Loh and Lu on the neighbouring court at the time.
The pair however, fell to the third-seeds Tan and Liu in two straight sets having never gained balance on the court.
Loh's next opponent, Antonsen secured his spot against Loh by beating compatriot Rasmus Gemke in two straight sets in his opening match.
The world number four dominated court three as he beat Gemke 21-17, 21-15 in a 49 minute long match.
Day two of the KFF Badminton Open will see many other world-class shuttlers face their opening round opponents. With Lee Zii Jia and Ratchanok Intanon announcing their withdrawals due to injury, defending champion Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and world number five Akane Yamaguchi have both earned themselves a walkover to the round of 16.
Mixed doubles pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, men's singles world number one Viktor Axelsen and women's singles Carolina Marin are just some of the big names taking to the court today. Follow the action here.
For more pictures of KFF Singapore Badminton Open day one action, visit our gallery here.