Loh Kean Yew / 骆建佑

Discussion in 'Professional Players' started by Loh, Aug 29, 2019.

  1. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    World champion Loh Kean Yew: Why I am not a one hit wonder
    Badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew out to return to his winning ways (olympics.com)
    The Singaporean is looking to medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games ahead of his world championship title defence.

    By Sanjeev Palar
    5 August 2022 15:35 GMT+8


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    Picture by EDDIE KEOGH
    Loh Kean Yew reached one of the pinnacles of badminton when he clinched the World Championship title in December 2021.

    He became the first Singaporean to win a title across all disciplines in the sport, and it elevated his status from underdog to man-to-beat on the World Tour circuit.

    The 25-year-old has not managed to repeat this podium-topping feat since his triumph in Huelva, but his remarkable performances this season have certainly seen him live up to his billing as the reigning champion.

    Ahead of his world title defence in Japan at the end of August, Loh hopes that the 2022 Commonwealth Games can give him just the boost he needs to potentially become the maiden Singaporean to clinch back-to-back world champion titles.

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    Loh Kean Yew in action at the Singapore Open 2022
    Picture by 2022 Getty Images

    Consistency will be key
    Loh kicked off the season on a positive note when he made the final of his first World Tour event of the year, the India Open.

    He sailed into the finals but his hopes of picking up a maiden title of the season was dashed by local hero, Lakshya Sen who dealt Loh his first defeat as the reigning world champion.

    His All England campaign this season came to a quick end when he was knocked out in the opening round by Denmark's Anders Antonsen.

    It would take a few more months before Loh could find a rhythm during a tournament and at the Indonesia Masters in June he defeated some formidable opponents before Chou Tien Chen ended his title hopes in the semi-finals.

    The back-to-back events in Jakarta saw him make the quarter-finals of the Super 1000 Indonesia Open where Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia needed extra points in the third game to snatch the win.

    Two weeks later, Loh suffered a first round exit at the Malaysia Open but bounced back on home soil to make the semi-finals of the Singapore Open.

    The nation's wait for another local winner continues after Anthony Sinisuka Ginting produced some spectacular badminton to defeat the reigning champ en route to lifting the title.

    Despite the defeat, Loh remains optimistic about his game and shared with Yahoo! News, "I played some good matches in this period, but I need to work on my consistency,"

    "At the very least, I felt that I performed in every game I played, but sometimes the results didn't go my way." - Loh Kean Yew to Yahoo! News
     
  2. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    A bright Birmingham outing
    Loh is the first reigning men's singles world champion to compete in a Commonwealth Games competition hoping to clinch his first title at a multi-sport event.

    His campaign in Birmingham got off to a bright start when he helped Singapore clinch bronze in the mixed team event. In men's singles he opened his campaign by winning against South Africa's Robert Summers on Thursday (4 August).

    With the Lee Zii Jia opting not to compete, this proves a golden opportunity for Loh to not only clinch singles' gold, but also get the confidence boost that he needs before heading to Tokyo for his title defence that commences on 22 August.

    Loh shared with The Straits Times that he has been struggling with form and consistency and is hoping to turn things around.

    "I'm working on my consistency and I'm still in the midst of finding it. It hasn't been easy, and it's not going to appear magically after I win the World Championship, but I'm working on it." - Loh Kean Yew to The Straits Times
     
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  3. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Lost in three sets in the quarter finals of the Commonwealth games.

    The one hit wonder label might be starting to stick. Maybe there’s too much distracting media attention.
     
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  4. lodoss

    lodoss Regular Member

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    Ya, the pressure on him and SBA new head coach grow with every unsuccessful tournaments, from BWF to SEA games, and now Commonwealth.
     
  5. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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  6. nokh88

    nokh88 Regular Member

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    Yup, he looked tired.
    Should have skipped a few tournaments especially this one like LZJ.

    Other players are having a break now and it will be impossible for him to defend his title in the WC.
     
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  7. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Commonwealth Games: World champ Loh Kean Yew shocked by Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong in quarter-finals
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    Loh Kean Yew lost to Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong 15-21, 21-14, 21-11 in the quarter-finals in Birmingham. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
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    Kimberly Kwek

    PUBLISHED
    11 HOURS AGO

    BIRMINGHAM - Rediscovering his drive is top of Loh Kean Yew’s to-do list, after the world champion suffered a shock exit from the men’s singles quarter-finals at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday (Aug 6).

    His 15-21, 21-14, 21-11 loss, to Malaysia’s world No. 42 Ng Tze Yong at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, was the latest in a string of disappointing results for Loh since he won the world championships last December.

    Expectations of Loh have grown since his feat, with the 25-year-old previously saying that he was struggling with his form and consistency.

    In May, he was beaten to the SEA Games gold medal by Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn and just last month, his bid to become the first local to win the men’s singles title at the Singapore Badminton Open since 1962 ended in the semi-finals.

    He said: “I need to go and find out the problem together with my coach, analyse and reflect again.

    “Most of it is about myself, needing to find the hunger and overcoming the mental aspects. It’s not easy – I’m also human but I’ll keep trying.”

    The Singaporean world No. 9 won the first game comfortably but was unable to keep up with Ng in the second.

    Although Loh had initially led 4-3, Ng won 11 of the next 12 points to lead 14-5, eventually clinching the second game and forcing a decider.

    Ng continued to dominate the quarter-final, racing to an 8-0 advantage in the third game and led 16-3 before closing it out for his first victory against a top-10 player.

    Noting that it has been a tiring season, Loh said: “I have been competing since May, with just a bit of a break.

    “I still tried my best, he (Ng) played a good game. But, for myself, I need to find out how to overcome it.”

    Loh’s compatriots had better performances on the courts on Saturday.

    Jason Teh will play against either India’s Lakshya Sen or Mauritius’ Georges Paul in the men’s singles semi-finals today, after beating Jamaica’s Samuel Ricketts 22-20, 21-10.

    Mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Jessica Tan defeated New Zealand’s Oliver Leydon-Davis and Anona Pak 21-11, 21-11 in the quarter-finals and will face Malaysian top seeds Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing, who are ranked 11th in the world, in the next round.

    Tan admitted to being tense with a spot in the semi-finals at stake, but she is not too worried about the task ahead. While they have beaten the Malaysians in their previous two encounters, the last time the pairs played was in 2016.

    Tan said: “We’ll have to up our level, up our standard, match them and hopefully come out on top.”

    Yeo Jia Min also booked her spot in the women’s singles semi-finals after beating Australia’s Wendy Chen 21-15, 21-15 in the quarter-finals.

    Despite the comfortable win, Yeo felt that her slow start had caused her to make some mistakes.

    But she knows there will be no room for error today when she comes up against India’s world No. 7 and 2018 silver medallist P.V. Sindhu in the semi-finals.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
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    Feng, Zeng make table tennis women's singles final an all-S'pore affair
     
  8. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: No need to press the panic button over Loh Kean Yew's form, says SBA's technical chief
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    Loh Kean Yew (above) was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Commonwealth Games by Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong in their first meeting. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
    [​IMG]

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED
    AUG 7, 2022, 12:20 PM SGT

    BIRMINGHAM - Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew has called for patience and understanding as the SBA coaching team work on taking world champion Loh Kean Yew to a higher level ahead of the 2024 Olympics.

    On Thursday, the 25-year-old player told The Straits Times that he has been struggling for form and consistency as he is in the midst of changing his game to make it more all-rounded and unpredictable.

    Two days later, the world No. 9 was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Commonwealth Games by Malaysia's 42nd-ranked Ng Tze Yong in their first meeting.

    While revealing Loh "puts a lot of pressure on himself to perform", Andrew said: "When we talk about consistency, it is a broad concept encompassing his shot quality, style of play and performances. He is working hard on his evolution and changes naturally take a while to get fully embedded into his game."

    While Loh's string of results this year have made his world title run look like a flash in the pan, Andrew has insisted that the changes are necessary if the player is to ensure a longer stay at the sport's top level.

    "We are making changes and integrating this into his training and matches to take his game to as high a level as it can be as we work towards Paris 2024," he said. "He cannot be staying still while others are analysing him and improving."

    And with the Olympics exactly two years away, the Briton explained that "there is no perfect time to make these changes as he has to do it in both a training and competitive environment".

    Still, there were positives to be gleaned from this campaign for Loh, such as when he showed his ability to withstand pressure to beat home favourite Toby Penty, a good defensive left-handed player who is strong in tight situations, in a tight decider to secure a point and eventually a mixed team bronze medal.

    Andrew added: "We cannot expect him to always appear and just beat people easily. At the moment, there are still unforced errors in his game but it is not debilitating in the long term."

    Since winning the World Championships in December, Loh has made two finals, at the the India Open and SEA Games, as well as two semi-finals in the Indonesia Masters and Singapore Open. His year was unfortunately also disrupted at the All England championships when he caught Covid-19.

    He has played 43 matches and won 31 of them, including a victory over then world No. 5 Anthony Ginting in the Thomas Cup in May. Of his 12 defeats, seven were against top-10 opponents.

    The lowest-ranked player he has lost to this year was the in-form Ng, who had upset India's world No. 10 and World Championships runner-up Kidambi Srikanth en route to the mixed team gold at these Games.

    While admitting his struggles, Loh called for the situation to be put in perspective. He noted that 10 months ago, he was still playing in lower-tier International Challenge events and rarely the top-class tournaments, before his meteoric rise ensured his participation in the higher-ranked Badminton World Federation World Tour competitions.

    He said: "I became world champion only after that stretch of competition when I shot up from around world No. 40. I have been doing my best to manage expectations while trying to find my own rhythm and my own gameplay.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Loh Kean Yew shocked by Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong in Commonwealth Games
    Heavy is the head that wears the crown: S'pore's shuttler Loh Kean Yew on his struggles with form

    "I think I have been doing quite OK the whole year in terms of results. The players I have lost to are all good players, so people need to know this even as I try to adjust my game.

    "People always talk about my speed, but nobody can be at their top speed all the time, so I'm working on my game, and finding my rhythm and momentum again. It's not easy but I'm trying, and I thank everyone for their concern and support."

    After these Games, Loh will return to Singapore and prepare for his title defence at the Aug 22-28 World Championships in Tokyo.
     
  9. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    There are two pictures in this article. Who is the second person?
     
  10. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Not much time for an off form player. It’s very likely we will see a new mens singles world champion.
     
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  11. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Amid a tough 2022, world champion Loh Kean Yew is in search of his ‘better self’
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    Loh Kean Yew competes at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. (Photo: Andy Chua/Commonwealth Games Singapore)

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    Matthew Mohan
    @MatthewMohanCNA
    09 Aug 2022 12:51PM(Updated: 09 Aug 2022 01:52PM)

    SINGAPORE: Just a year ago, Loh Kean Yew was ranked 40th in the world.

    Eliminated in the group stages of the men's singles at the Tokyo Olympics, his last tournament win was two years prior.

    By his own admission, Loh was an unknown entity.

    The Singaporean’s claim to fame was a 2019 Thailand Masters triumph, where he upset Chinese superstar Lin Dan in the finals.

    And within the course of a few dizzying months in 2021, Loh’s life changed.

    He won two titles in consecutive months, made the finals of a Super 1000 tournament and then overcame all odds to win the World Championships.

    Hailed as the next big thing, expectations rose.

    But Loh has preached the same mantra over and over again - consistency, consistency, consistency.

    Just as quickly as his performance spiked, he knew that it could also easily dip.

    ‘Not possible to not feel any pressure’: Loh Kean Yew on being world champion and his golden SEA Games dream
    This year, 25-year-old has featured in 12 tournaments in just eight months - more than he did in the whole of 2021.

    He has played a whopping 42 matches, featuring in two finals - the India Open and the SEA Games - as well as making it to two semi-finals (Indonesia Masters and Singapore Open).

    And while Loh feels that he has done better than he expected this year, there is undoubtedly room for improvement, he told CNA.

    Most recently eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Commonwealth Games men’s singles last week by world number 42 Ng Tze Yong, the world number 9 now has a goal in mind.

    To find himself.

    “My personal goal now is to try and find myself first. I am in the process of finding my better self ... on court,” the 25-year-old explained.

    “That kind of self that goes (into a match) feeling like an underdog, that just chiong (charge ahead) with no worries, just play, just enjoy while being focused, that confident guy.”

    PERSPECTIVE IMPORTANT
    At last December’s World Championships, Loh took to the court like a man possessed.

    His combination of raw speed and power stunned opponents, many of whom simply had no answer for the unseeded Singaporean.

    “Any athlete’s dream is to play with high confidence,” he explained. “At the World Champs it was good because I was super confident. I didn't know that I was confident but I appeared confident. And I played without any fear.”

    But since then, things have changed.

    “Now everyone is targeting me. So when I’m not myself or when I have any weakness, everybody sees it right away,” he explained.

    Loh is also dealing with the weight of expectations, which has affected his performance and that in turn has eaten into some of his confidence.

    “(The struggle is) handling pressure which is part of it ... handling expectations. And of course to find my old form, how to keep playing (at) my best kind of form,” he explained.

    “I too want to meet the expectation of being good all the time. But, of course, realistically speaking, I need to know where I was just a year ago.”

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    Singapore's Loh Kean Yew celebrates beating India's Srikanth Kidambi during the men's singles final badminton match of the BWF World Championships in Huelva, on Dec 19, 2021. (Photo: AFP/Jose Jordan)
     
  12. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Given his rapid rise to the top, perspective is important, stressed Loh. It wasn’t too long ago that he was still playing in lower-tier tournaments and could not even make it into the draw of top-level events, he recalled.

    “I still needed to go there and ‘pray’ to qualify for the tournament, to get into qualifying,” he recalled. “(And) In the past, even passing the first round was a problem.”

    Loh notes how he started off well at the Commonwealth Games, but the pressure soon weighed heavy.

    “At the start of the competition, I think I was doing okay. I played well, I was doing well in the team event. And then, I think as time went by … I think the pressure slowly piled up,” explained Loh, who was the top seed in the singles' event.

    “I've been trying to learn how to manage it, but it's not getting any easier.”

    2022 has not been all doom and gloom for Loh. For one, he is currently ranked at an all-time career high.

    Loh was also a key member of the men's team that clinched a historic bronze for Singapore at the Badminton Asia Team Championships. He finished with another bronze in the mixed team event at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games.

    But he is not dwelling on the past. Loh holds himself to a high standard and is determined to achieve his goals.

    “Personally I have my own goal (for tournaments) but I don’t really have to tell anyone about it,” he said. “The best is to know your own circumstances and just do it yourself. People don't have to know.”

    While critics point to the fact that he did not win the two tournaments where he was the top seed this year (SEA Games and Commonwealth Games), it is not so simple, stressed Loh.

    "To me, seeding is just a number. We are top seed because we are ranked higher, but people need to know that (players) at the top 10 or top 20, or even top 30 all the standards are around there," he noted.

    This is where Loh points to world number 1 and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen as an excellent example of consistency and ability to handle pressure.

    “People ask me if Viktor is the best player in the world now. And I think he is the one who can do this - be the top seed and be consistent - while still staying in his own game by being disciplined,” Loh explained.

    “Viktor can do this almost all the time ... I'm still trying to be like that. I'm still trying to find consistency. I'm still trying to be disciplined in my own game.”

    And 2022 being a packed year for Loh, he has to learn this while on a relentless schedule. With the World Championships next up later this month, there will be little rest for the Singaporean.

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    Dane Viktor Axelsen is a good example of consistency and high performance, said Loh Kean Yew (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
    But Loh is determined to keep learning, to take every day as a new opportunity to grow.

    “Of course, the process won't be that fast. It will definitely take some time,” he explained.

    Yet, Loh believes he will get there.

    “When it comes, it comes. Some people take one month ... some people take three months, half a year, one year, two years,” he said.

    “I am of course positive because nothing lasts forever. Winning doesn't last forever, losing also doesn't last forever.”

    And if there is one thing Singapore has learnt with its athletes, is that you should never count Loh out.



    Source: CNA/mt(ta)
     
  13. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew faces tricky path in bid for back-to-back world titles
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    Loh Kean Yew's title defence will begin against Spanish world No. 59 Pablo Abian. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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    Laura Chia

    PUBLISHED
    10 HOURS AGO

    SINGAPORE - Old rivalries will be renewed at the Badminton World Championships from Aug 22 to 28 with Loh Kean Yew facing an obstacle-ridden path in Tokyo as he makes an ambitious bid for back-to-back world titles in the men's singles.

    While he will not face world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen in his half of the draw, defending world champion Loh could face Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn - who beat him to gold at the SEA Games in May - in the quarter-finals, with India's world championships runner-up Srikanth Kidambi and Malaysian star Lee Zii Jia also in the mix.

    The Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced the draws for the tournament on Wednesday (Aug 10) and eighth seed Loh has been placed in the same half as newly crowned Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen and Japanese former world No. 1 Kento Momota.

    Loh's title defence will begin against Spanish world No. 59 Pablo Abian, whom he beat in their only meeting at last year's Dutch Open.

    After that, the world No. 9 could face surprise Tokyo Olympics semi-finalist Kevin Cordon of Guatamala before a round-of-16 meeting against South Korean Heo Kwang-hee or 10th seed Angus Ng of Hong Kong.

    His matches will only get trickier from there with a possible rematch against Kunlavut or Danish world No. 3 Anders Antonsen in the quarter-finals.

    But Loh, who returned home from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games on Wednesday after a shock exit from the men's singles quarter-finals, is not thinking about the world championships yet.

    He said: "For now, I just want to take a break. There's not much time to prepare but let's hope for the best.

    "Everyone is a tough opponent in the world championships, I would like to focus on one match at a time."

    Loh made history last year after beating Kidambi 21-15, 22-20 in Huelva, Spain to become Singapore's first badminton world champion.

    Since then, his form has been inconsistent. He reached the finals of the India Open and SEA Games in Hanoi but lost to Sen and Kunlavut respectively.

    He reached the semi-finals in the Indonesia Masters and Singapore Open, while suffering three first-round exits this year.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Badminton: No need to press the panic button over Loh Kean Yew's form
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    At the recent Commonwealth Games, he was stunned by Malaysia's 42nd-ranked Ng Tze Yong in the top eight.

    Teammates Terry Hee and Jessica Tan, who won Singapore's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in the mixed doubles, will kick off their campaign against England's Callum Hemming and Jessica Pugh in the first round.

    They won their only meeting against the 46th-ranked duo at the Orleans Masters in March.

    Tan, 29, said: "Every pair in the draw is out there to fight, no one can be overlooked. We will take every round as our last, give our all and hope for the best."

    If the world No. 33 Hee and Tan win, they could face Japanese 12th seeds Yuki Kaneko and Misaki Matsumoto next.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
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    Commonwealth Games: Badminton couple Hee and Tan a smash hit on and off court

    In the women's singles, world No. 18 Yeo Jia Min will play her first match against South Korean world No. 43 Sim Yu-jin, before a possible match-up against Thai SEA Games champion Pornpawee Chochuwong in the next round.

    Yeo, 23, said: "I aim to improve on my game again and bring out my best to win more matches in Japan."

    Like her compatriot Loh, Yeo, who last year became the first Singaporean to qualify and play in the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals, can expect a challenging journey in Tokyo. She is in the same half as Olympic champion Chen Yufei of China, world No. 2 Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei and Thailand's former world champion Ratchanok Intanon.

    Hee will also be in action in the men's doubles with Loh Kean Hean and they will take on France's Cristo Popov and Toma Junior Popov in the first round.

    Commonwealth Games men's singles semi-finalist Jason Teh will face Mark Caljouw of the Netherlands in the opening round, while women's doubles pair Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong will play Austria's Serena Au Yeong and Katharina Hochmeir.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
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  14. ants

    ants Regular Member

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    It is all mental. HE got what it takes to be a champ. Anything can happen in badminton. Right time right opponent. We will never know.
     
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  15. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton World Championships
    2022: How to watch Loh Kean Yew live in action

    Badminton: World championships 2022 - How to watch Loh Kean Yew - preview, schedule, live streaming and tv coverage details for Singapore's star (olympics.com)

    After a disappointing individual outing at the Commonwealth Games, the reigning world champion heads to Japan to defend his crown as he looks to become Singapore's first back-to-back world champ in Tokyo.

    By Sanjeev Palar
    21 August 2022 17:42 GMT+8
    Badminton
    Kean Yew LOH

    [​IMG]

    Picture by 2022 Getty Images
    All eyes will certainly be on reigning badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew as he heads to Tokyo to defend his title from 22-28 August.

    The Singaporean became the first men's single's player to clinch the title when he triumphed in Huelva in December last year. But since then, the 25-year-old has struggled to repeat his title winning form, both on the World Tour circuit as well as various multi-sport events.

    Loh has yet to win a tournament, coming as close as making the finals of the India Open in January but was defeated by home talent, Lakshya Sen.

    He then suffered some first-round shock defeats at the German and All England Open events this year, before regaining some of his form to get as far as the semi-finals of the Indonesia Masters. He was narrowly defeated by Chou Tien Chen and again by Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia the following week in the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Open.

    After another first-round exit at the Malaysia Open, Loh raised his game on home soil at the Singapore Open. But his fine run ended in the semi-finals when he was defeated by Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting.

    Loh's quest for an individual title at a multi-sport event has also fallen short two times this year. He was one win shy of clinching top honours at the South-East Asian Games in Hanoi, but was denied by Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn. At the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Loh suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong who is ranked 42nd in the world. Prior to that, he did manage a bronze medal in the mixed team event, a first for Singapore.

    Loh will nonetheless arrive in Japan as the man to beat, and has proven as he did in Huelva last year, that he is very capable of defeating any player on the other side of the net when playing to his potential.

    READ MORE: How learning from an Olympic champion helped Loh Kean Yew to world domination

    [​IMG]
    From first round elimination to the world title, how Loh Kean Yew reinvented himself
    Loh's road to the final will need him to be at his best

    Loh Kean Yew has been seeded eighth for his title defense in Japan and will open his campaign against Spanish veteran Pablo Albian who is ranked 59 in the world.

    Barring an upset, the Singaporean should make it to the third round where he could likely face Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long. From the quarter-finals onwards, it's anyone's guess as to who will shine in Tokyo, but his likely opponents could be either third seed Anders Antonsen from Denmark or an opportunity to avenge his SEA Games defeat against Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

    Should Loh prevail then there are a few players who could be on the other side of the net for his semi-finals match, including Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia or even second seed Momota Kento.

    Should Loh find the form that saw him clinch his title in Huelva and makes it to the final, if the form book stays true, then he could face-off against the reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, whom he knocked out in the opening round enroute to the title in Huelva.

    So looking at the draw, the one thing for sure is that Loh Kean Yew will need to be at his very best, should he have any hopes of defending this title against a very competitive field.
     
  16. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew begins world c'ships title defence with win over Spain's Abian
    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Yew beat Spain's Pablo Abian 21-12, 21-12 on Aug 22. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
    [​IMG]

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED
    AUG 22, 2022, 10:15 PM SGT

    SINGAPORE - Badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew began his title defence with a 21-12, 21-12 win over Spain's Pablo Abian on Monday (Aug 22).

    Despite a self-admitted struggle for form, the world No. 8 Singaporean was heavy favourite against his 58th-ranked opponent, and made his superiority count at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Japan, winning in 29 minutes.

    He first had to get used to a last-minute switch to play on Court 4 instead of Court 1, and took some time to get going in both games, as he trailed 8-5 and 6-3 respectively.

    But once he got over his early tentativeness, Loh's consistency was too much for the 37-year-old Abian as he went on runs of 14 and seven points respectively to seize control of the match.

    The 25-year-old will meet Guatemala's world No. 41 Kevin Cordon, a Tokyo 2020 semi-finalist, in the second round on Wednesday.

    He said: "I'm happy to be back in Tokyo and playing in the World Championships again, but even though it was a historic win in December, that is already history.

    "(Despite the change in court), I was focused and stuck to the game plan even when I was trailing. As always, I'm taking it one match at a time and will analyse and discuss the strategy for the next match with my coach."

    Loh joined other big names like Viktor Axelsen (world No. 1), Kento Momota (No. 2) and Lee Zii Jia (No. 5) in the next round. The only top-10 player to miss out was third-ranked Anders Antonsen. The Dane lost 21-15, 21-19 to Japan's 21st-ranked Kenta Nishimoto.

    Loh's compatriot Jason Teh, making his tournament debut, fell 21-13, 21-14 to world No. 28 Dutchman Mark Caljouw. Teh, 86th in the world, later revealed in an Instagram post that he had torn his left ankle ligament a week ago but "thought I should still give it a go because I really wanted to compete here in Tokyo".

    There was better news for Singapore in the men's doubles as world No. 41 Terry Hee and Loh Kean Hean upset 28th-ranked French brothers Christo and Toma Junior Popov 21-17, 21-18 in 34 minutes.

    It was a sweet return to the court for Kean Hean, who had missed the Birmingham Commonwealth Games men's doubles event after testing positive for Covid-19 earlier this month.

    The 27-year-old, who lost 4kg during his recovery from the virus, said: "I was definitely hungry and fired up to return. Seeing my teammates play so well at the Games inspired me to do better in my upcoming competitions.

    "Today, we were more patient, especially in the second game when we were trailing for most of the first half. We got many points from our attacking plan, so we stuck to it and thankfully we came through in the last few points."

    [​IMG]
    The duo's second-round opponents on Wednesday are Malaysia's world No. 10 Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi, who received a first-round bye.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew faces tricky path in bid for back-to-back world titles
    Badminton: Yeo Jia Min out of world championships after testing positive for Covid-19 again

    Hee, 27, added: "We lost to them at the 2017 SEA Games, and they are the bronze medallists last year, so we don't really have any pressure on our side. We will just fight for every point and hope to create another upset."

    He and his wife Jessica Tan also advanced to the second round of the mixed doubles event after England's Callum Hemming and Jessica Pugh withdrew.

    The world No. 33 pair and Commonwealth Games champions will meet Japan's 16th-ranked Yuki Kaneko and Misaki Matsumoto, who received a first-round bye.

    The Republic's world No. 80 women's doubles pair of Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong will play Austria's 109th-ranked Serena Au Yeong and Katharina Hochmeir in their first-round match on Tuesday.
     
  17. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Loh Kean Yew beats Guatemala’s Cordon, progresses to next round of World Championships
    There was also good news for Singapore in the men's doubles as the pair of Terry Hee and Loh Kean Hean upset Malaysia's world number 10 pair of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi.

    [​IMG]
    File Photo of Loh Kean Yew competing. (Photo: SportSG/Lim Weixiang)
    [​IMG]
    Matthew Mohan
    @MatthewMohanCNA
    24 Aug 2022 11:32AM(Updated: 24 Aug 2022 11:32AM)


    SINGAPORE: Badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew advanced to the third round of the men’s singles at the BWF World Championships on Wednesday (Aug 24) after he beat Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon in 49 minutes.

    In the first career meeting between both players, the Singaporean was stretched by the experienced world number 40 but took the victory 21-12, 11-21, 21-12. This year’s tournament is held in Tokyo, Japan.

    Cordon took the game to Loh and went into the interval only one point behind. But the 25-year-old stepped up a gear and would reel off nine consecutive points en route to winning the first.

    Cordon, who finished fourth at last year's Olympics, was far from done. He raced to a five point lead at the interval and leveled the match.

    But the Singaporean brushed off any concerns of a potential upset as he came out all guns blazing in the third game. His opponent simply had no answer for Loh as the Singaporean would win the decider comfortably.

    The 25-year-old, who is currently ranked eighth in the world, will next face either Hong Kong’s world number 11 Angus Ng Ka-long or Ng’s compatriot Vincent Wong.

    At last year’s World Championships, Loh went on a fairytale run which saw him upset a number of higher ranked players including Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen en route to winning the title.

    In the men’s doubles, the world ranked 41st pair of Terry Hee and Loh Kean Hean stunned Malaysia's Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi.

    The Singaporean duo put in a sensational shift as they beat their opponents, who had clinched bronze at the last edition of the World Championships.

    Hee and Loh took the victory 22-20, 22-20 against the world number 10 and tournament ninth seeds.

    The Singaporean pair will next face either India’s Dhruv Kapila and M.R Arjun or Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.

    Alongside his wife Jessica Tan, Hee will feature later in the day in the mixed doubles. They will face Japan’s twelfth seeds Yuki Kaneko and Misaki Matsutomo.

    Singapore’s women’s doubles pair of Yujia Jin and Crystal Wong also advanced to the third round via walkover against tournament second seeds Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota.

    Source: CNA/mt(ta)
     
  18. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    All eyes on Loh KY to prove he isn’t a one hit wonder.
     
  19. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    So far so good! :) He has reached tomorrow's Quarter Finals.
     
  20. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    A win is a win!
     

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