Badminton: Singapore's Yeo Jia Min loses in Indonesia Masters quarter-finals

National shuttler Yeo Jia Min lost 21-12, 21-13 to Thailand's world No. 27 Phittayaporn Chaiwan. PHOTO: BADMINTON PHOTO

SINGAPORE - National shuttler Yeo Jia Min's Indonesia Masters run ended in the quarter-finals after she lost 21-12, 21-13 to Thailand's world No. 27 Phittayaporn Chaiwan on Friday (Nov 19).

Despite the defeat, the 22-year-old will earn US$3,300 (S$4,490) in prize money and is likely to improve on her career-high world No. 20 ranking when the new list is out on Tuesday.

She had initially kept pace with her 20-year-old opponent and was tied at 10-10 in the first game before Phittayaporn caught fire and won 11 of the next 13 points.

It was a similar story in the second frame as Yeo got to within two points at 14-12, but went on to win just one out of the next eight points.

Nevertheless, it has been a positive outing as she had battled flu since she finished second at the Hylo Open in Germany on Nov 7. After contemplating withdrawal, she beat Denmark's world No. 26 Line Christophersen and Japan's 49th-ranked Saena Kawakami.

Her loss ends Singapore's involvement at the US$600,000 Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 750 event at the Bali International Convention Centre.

On Thursday, compatriot and Hylo Open men's singles champion Loh Kean Yew was beaten by Chinese Taipei's world No. 4 Chou Tien-chen in the round of 16.

The Singaporeans next event is next week's Nov 23-28 Indonesian Open, a Super 1000 event, at the same venue.

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