Singapore badminton player Loh Kean Yew suffered defeat at the Badminton Asia Championships after the first round of men’s singles.
The world No.10 was knocked out of the competition by Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto on Wednesday (10 April) in the Round of 32.
The loss comes after Loh’s recent win at the Spain Masters, his first title since 2021.
Hoping to continue his winning streak, Loh faced world No.12 Kenta Nishimoto at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre in China.
After a strong start, Loh won the first game 21-18.
However, it was anyone’s game after the second round as Nishimoto took the 21-18 win.
Loh struggled to make a comeback in the last round after Nishimoto’s early led, allowing the Japanese to seal the win with a score of 21-17.
Source: BWF – Badminton World Federation
Speaking to The Straits Times (ST), Loh felt he had played well in his match against Nishimoto, but recognised there is still “room for improvement”.
Singapore singles coach Kelvin Ho pointed out the “negative circumstances” which contributed to Loh’s loss, such as the slow hall.
However, he added that Loh has improved significantly and will continue to focus on getting better mentally and physically.
Despite Loh’s defeat, Singapore emerged victorious in the mixed doubles as world 19-ranked pair Terry Hee and Jessica Tan clinched a win over Chinese Taipei’s Chang Ko-chi and Lee Chih-chen.
However, they were knocked out of the competition by China’s world No.1 Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong in the round of 16 on Thursday (11 April), reported ST.
Women’s singles player Yeo Jia Min also secured a spot in the round of 16 after Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong withdrew from the competition.
She will face China’s Wang Zhi Yi on Thursday (11 April).
Also read: Loh Kean Yew Clinches Silver In Korea Open Final After Loss To Denmark’s Anders Antonsen
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Featured image adapted from Loh Kean Yew on Facebook, from previous event.
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