Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew avenges SEA Games loss to Zaki Ubaidillah with Indonesia Masters last-16 win
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For a place in the semi-finals, he will take on Taiwanese world No. 6 Chou Tien-chen on Jan 23.
PHOTO: BWF/BADMINTONPHOTO
- Loh Kean Yew beat Zaki Ubaidillah at the Indonesia Masters, avenging his SEA Games loss and advancing to the quarter-finals.
- Jason Teh progressed due to opponent Anthony Ginting's injury and will face Taiwanese Chi Yu-jen, seeking his first Super 500 semi-final.
- Terry Hee and Gloria Widjaja reached the mixed doubles quarter-finals, beating a top-20 pair for the second time in a row, and will next take on Malaysia's world champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – More than a month after a shock loss to rising badminton star Zaki Ubaidillah at the Thailand SEA Games, Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew exacted sweet revenge on the Indonesian youngster in the latter’s backyard.
At the December Games, Loh was the hot favourite to win the men’s singles gold, following the withdrawal of Thailand’s world No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn. But his hopes were dashed in the quarter-finals by eventual silver medallist Zaki
On Jan 22, their paths crossed again at the US$500,000 (S$642,000) Indonesia Masters, and this time, it was the 46th-ranked teenager’s turn to crumble under the pressure as world No. 10 Loh won by the same scoreline in Jakarta to progress to the last eight.
For a place in the semi-finals, he will take on Taiwanese world No. 6 Chou Tien-chen on Jan 23 in a repeat of their Taipei Open final, which Loh won for his only title in 2025.
While he declined to dwell on his SEA Games disappointment, Loh told The Straits Times: “I came into the match expecting the whole crowd to cheer for him. I’m glad that I was able to withstand the pressure this time and managed to overcome it.
“I’m happy to reach the quarter-final again and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to play in the Istora for another match.”
In the Istora Senayan cauldron packed with the passionate fans in full voice, Loh took some time to settle down before his attacking game got going.
Still, Zaki, the latest product from the Indonesian badminton conveyor belt, kept pace with Loh as the Asian junior champion and world junior championships runner-up drew level at 19-19.
However, the Singaporean stepped up to close out the opening game, and take the match in 39 minutes for back-to-back quarter-final appearances on the Badminton World Federation World Tour, following his semi-final run at the Super 750 India Open the previous week.
Loh’s compatriot Jason Teh also progressed to the next round, albeit in contrasting fashion as his injury-plagued Indonesian opponent, 76th-ranked Anthony Ginting, withdrew before the start of their match.
The 25-year-old will face 27th-ranked Chi Yu-jen, who stunned Denmark’s world No. 3 Anders Antonsen 21-11, 18-21, 21-13, in the last eight.
The Taiwanese holds a 3-0 head-to-head record against the world No. 22 Singaporean, who also suffered an early exit at the SEA Games.
While Teh is buoyed by his first win of the year after beating Hong Kong’s Angus Ng in the opening round, he told ST: “I wish Ginting a speedy recovery. I’m not thinking too much, I just want to focus on my game and do my best tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Singaporean Terry Hee enjoyed another successful outing with his Indonesian partner Gloria Widjaja, with the new mixed doubles pairing claiming their second top-20 scalp by beating Denmark’s European champions and 12th-ranked Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund 21-12, 16-21, 21-14.
Showing good understanding and temperament, they put pressure on Toft, especially in the deciding game, to set up a quarter-final clash with Malaysia’s world champions and fourth-ranked Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei.
In the opening round, Hee and Widjaja also overcame China’s 16-ranked Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi
The 30-year-old Hee, who sank to his knees to celebrate the victory, said: “It’s been a long time since I enjoyed playing such high-level badminton.
“Our chemistry is getting better with each time we go on court as a pair. I believe Gloria and I have what it takes to compete and win at the highest levels of the tour, but it’s only our second match, and we are just trusting the process, step by step.
“We aim to give the world champions a hard time and are hopeful we can upset higher-ranked opponents again.”
Widjaja, 32, noted the fledgling pair’s growing confidence after beating the two seeded pairs.
She added: “I trust Terry’s abilities as well as my own, and that trust is what makes us solid as a team. Our experience also serves as an added value for us.”
National doubles coach Paulus Firman backed the duo to go the distance.
He said: “Even though it took three games to win, their performance today was better than yesterday. They certainly have the potential to beat the top pairs and I’m hopeful they can move up the world rankings.”
