Local crowd favourites Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min impress on Day 2 of the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2023
Loh Kean Yew is all smiles after his victory against Lee Cheuk Yiu at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open. PHOTO: SINGAPORE BADMINTON ASSOCIATION
Singapore, 7 June 2023 – The 5,000-strong crowd at the Singapore Indoor Stadium were again treated to incredible performances throughout the second day of the Karim Family
Foundation (KFF) Singapore Badminton Open presented by JK Technology.
Local fans had plenty to cheer about as Singaporeans Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min secured impressive straight-set wins to advance to the next round.
Loh Kean Yew Advances to the Round of 16
In the day's highly anticipated clash, fans witnessed an exhilarating showdown between home favourite Loh Kean Yew and Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu. In the first game, after an initial deadlock at 3-3, Loh seized control and never let go, securing the set with a score of 21-19.
The second game presented more of a challenge for Loh. Despite trailing at 12-17 after Lee's five-point streak, Loh told himself to “just fight”, and showcased his unwavering resolve and ignited a comeback. Fuelled by the steadfast support of the crowd, the 2021 World Champion powered through to snatch the set with a thrilling 21-19 victory.
Loh Kean Yew celebrates a point in his victory against Lee Cheuk Yiu at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open. PHOTO: SINGAPORE BADMINTON ASSOCIATION
Loh thanked the fans for their support and said: “I heard a lot of cheers, and it was great to hear the Singaporean crowd cheering. It was amazing, and hopefully, I’ll be able to play more matches. Of course, one match at a time.”
He added: “I feel happy about the win, but for now, I’ll really just focus on the next game. For now, it’s rest.”
Loh will take on France’s Christo Popov in tomorrow’s Round of 16 match, a first encounter for both players.
Yeo Jia Min impressed in her victory against Zhang Yiman at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open. PHOTO: SINGAPORE BADMINTON ASSOCIATION
Yeo Jia Min Impresses in Her Round of 32 Win
Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min delivered an impressive performance earlier in the day, defeating China’s Zhang Yiman in just 34 minutes. When Yeo was down 12-14 during the match, she rallied and won six consecutive points to take the lead, eventually winning the first game 21-18.
In the second game, Yeo had to once again come from behind, winning six consecutive points from being 3-7 down to take a 9-7 lead. From then on, Yeo never relinquished her advantage, taking the final set 21-14.
Following her win, Yeo elatedly said: “I’m really happy that I can play in front of so many fans this year, much more than previous ones, and I really feel the support from all around the
stadium.”
Reflecting on her performance and looking ahead to tomorrow, she added: “I tried to play to my strengths, to be fast, take initiative if I can, and don't be too slow and follow her speed.
Tomorrow, I definitely need to bring up my best game, try to take advantage of the situation, even if I'm [in front of] the home crowd. So I hope that I can take the momentum to tomorrow.”
Yeo faces a tough challenge tomorrow as she takes on World No. 2 An Se Young, who recently won the 2023 Thailand Open. The head-to-head record between them stands firmly in favour of the South Korean at 5-1.
PHOTO: HANIDA HUSSEIN, SPORTPLUS.SG
Exciting Matchups in the Men’s Singles
The day's first men's singles match featured a gripping showdown between last week's Thailand Open champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Chinese Taipei's Wang Tzu Wei. Vitidsarn
surged ahead after a tied score of 10-10 in the first game, ultimately winning the set 21-15.
Wang staged a remarkable comeback in the second game, displaying his determination and seizing control after a tied score of 3-all. He never relinquished his lead, clinching the game
with a resounding 21-14 victory.
The final game unfolded as a nail-biting contest, with both competitors vying for the win. Each player had game points during the set, heightening the suspense for the crowd. Wang came agonisingly close to victory at 26-25 but could not convert the match point. Finally, on his seventh attempt, Kunlavut mustered the strength to claim the final set 28-26 to secure a
thrilling victory.
PHOTO: HANIDA HUSSEIN, SPORTPLUS.SG
Kunlavut will take on Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong tomorrow to secure a quarter-final spot. The two last played in 2018, with the Thai claiming a convincing straight-set victory (21-13, 21-12).
Later at night, defending champion Anthony Gintang faced off against a formidable opponent in Hong Kong’s Angus Ng, with whom he has a losing head-to-head record against (5-7).
The first game saw Anthony establish his dominance to secure a convincing victory with a score of 21-15.
However, the second game proved to be a much tougher challenge. Despite having three match points in his favour, Anthony faced relentless pressure from Ng, as both players engaged in a thrilling point-for-point exchange towards the end. Anthony finally seized the opportunity on his fourth match point, demonstrating his resilience and composure to claim the second game with a score of 24-22.
Following this hard-earned win, Anthony will now take on Canada’s Brian Yang, whom he recently defeated in straight sets (21-17, 21-16) at the Sudirman Cup Finals.
Crystal Wong and Jin Yujia fell to defending champions Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Ramadanti at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open. PHOTO: SINGAPORE BADMINTON ASSOCIATION
Indonesians on Track to Defend Their Title After Comeback Win
In the women’s doubles, Crystal Wong and Jin Yu Jia put up a spirited performance but couldn't overcome defending champions Apriyani Rahayu and SiG RamadhanG. Wong and Jin played brilliantly in the first game, maintaining their lead throughout and securing a 21-15 victory.
The locals stayed in the game until the end of the second game but lost by just two points. In the final game, the Indonesians demonstrated their physical and mental strength, going on two five-point runs during the game to secure a seven-point victory, with a final score of 15-21, 21-19, 21-15 in slightly over an hour.
PHOTO: HANIDA HUSSEIN, SPORTPLUS.SG
The defending champions will face Japanese duo Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi, whom they played last week. The Japanese pair holds the upper hand, having won the game
comprehensively (21-12, 21-13).
Organised by the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA), the KFF Singapore Badminton Open is a Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 750 series event with a prize purse of US$850,000.
While tickets for the finals have sold out, tickets from Wednesday through to the semi-finals on Saturday are still available and can be purchased from Ticketmaster, with ticket pricing
ranging from S$30 to S$120.
Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Ramadanti in action in the Women's Doubles at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open. PHOTO: SINGAPORE BADMINTON ASSOCIATION