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.
