Payback chance for Loh
Defending champion to meet Kunlavut, his conqueror in May's SEA Games final
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Defending men's singles champion Loh Kean Yew is now one victory away from claiming another Badminton World Championships medal.
The world No. 8 Singaporean yesterday beat Hong Kong's 11th-ranked Angus Ng, who retired after 22 minutes while trailing 21-11, 11-4 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, to advance to the quarter-finals.
This sets up a repeat of the SEA Games final with Thailand's defensive expert Kunlavut Vitidsarn today. Back in May, the world No. 17 took full advantage of Loh's fatigue after a marathon semi-final victory to win 21-13, 21-13.
But Loh, who trails 2-1 in their head-to-head record, should be fresher this time after cruising past Ng, who required treatment on his right thigh when 8-3 down in the second game.
Loh said: "I think I played quite well and smoothly in the first game, and it was unfortunate he had the injury in the second game.
"At this level, it is anybody's game. At this point, I'm going to just chiong (Singlish for go all out). I will analyse my game and my opponent's game with my coach and come up with a plan."
The 25-year-old, however, is the last Singaporean shuttler left after his teammates' brave runs ended in the round of 16.
World No. 41 men's doubles pair Terry Hee and Loh Kean Hean clawed back from 11-15 to take the first game against 35th-ranked M. R. Arjun and Dhruv Kapila, but the Indians stepped up to win 18-21, 21-15, 21-16 in 58 minutes.
Earlier, the Singaporeans had stunned the 27th-ranked French brothers Christo and Toma Junior Popov in the first round, followed by Malaysia's world No. 10 and last year's bronze medallists Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi.
Kean Hean said: "We didn't play as well as yesterday or as we normally do. They prepared well and performed better than us.
"They were very fast and aggressive in their attacks and flat shots, and we couldn't convert the situation into our favour. We were not clear in our defence and made a lot of mistakes."
Hee returned later to the court with his wife Jessica Tan as the 32nd-ranked mixed doubles duo, but they were outplayed 21-10, 21-15 by Hong Kong's world No. 7 Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet.
After winning the first point, they found themselves blitzed by last year's bronze medallists, who were just too fast and furious with their movement and combinations as they raced to a 12-2 lead and comfortably claimed the opener.
Commonwealth Games champions Hee and Tan, who beat Japan's world No. 16 Yuki Kaneko and Misaki Matsutomo in the previous round, were more competitive in the second game.
They got to within 16-15, before their southpaw rivals pulled away to victory.
Tan said: "We were not at our best physically, and hence were unable to bring out our best play.
"However, we are pleased with our campaign overall, especially after the huge upset over the Japanese pair on their home ground to reach the last 16 on our first attempt, and we aim to be back stronger."
In the women's doubles, world No. 80s Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong put up admirable resistance against China's 13th-ranked Zhang Shuxian and Zheng Yu before losing 21-15, 21-14.
National doubles coach Lim Pek Siah said that the players' performance in Tokyo "affirms their talent and ability".
She added: "To be medal contenders at this level, they will need to improve in terms of consistency, as well as variety and options in attack and defence."
