Add another, as Loh Kean Yew, of Singapore, captured his first badminton title in 14 months on Sunday, May 11. He won the men’s singles final at the Taipei Open, beating local hero Chou Tien-chen in the final. This victory is a huge win! He is the first Singaporean to win any title at this highly coveted tournament. Congratulations to Loh for this impressive victory! This achievement comes after a tremendous past year in which he proved his great talents while training under the fine training field of Singapore’s new single head coach, Kim Ji-hyun.
Loh’s route to the ultimate victory was pretty incredible too, with commanding wins over some of the other top qualified competitors. He previously beat Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul in the quarterfinals. Then, against all the odds, he continued his winning run by defeating Finland’s Joakim Oldorff and Taiwan’s Wang Tzu-wei. In the semi-finals, Loh faced Chan Yin Chak of Hong Kong. He proved his tenacity and talent at every opportunity, saving his best performance for the final.
Recent Achievements
Even before this stunning victory at the Taipei Open, Loh Kean Yew had previously revealed his fighting spirit. Just last month, he won a bronze medal during the Badminton Asia Championships. Additionally, he made it to the finals of the German Open, where he again finished as the runner-up. To add to the list, Loh performed well at the All England Open, reaching the quarter-finals. These most recent performances underscore his continued progress and establishment as a legitimate high-level contender.
Those recent accomplishments are a deserved capstone to a dazzling career revival after suffering through several rough years. Loh took home the Spain Masters title last year and scored a big upset in winning bronze at the 2021 BWF World Championships. Still, with the lack of recent titles has come increased worries over his on-court consistency. Under the guidance of head coach Kim Ji-hyun, Loh has found his killer instinct again. That backdrop of a major resurgence propelled him to his most recent victory.
Head-to-Head Record
So it’s no surprise that the final against Chou Tien-chen was of immense personal importance to Loh. With this victory, he leveled his career head-to-head match record against the Taiwanese player to 4-4. This victory not only adds a prestigious title to his resume but boosts his confidence in facing one of his key rivals. Loh taking down Chou in front of home support will only serve to emphasize his increasing fame on the international stage. This win certainly cements his status as a frontrunner on the international stage.
Now world no.11, Loh’s recent form suggests he’s primed to claim future titles in the coming circuit such as the India Open and Singapore Open. With every game, he not only gains more pace but makes his claim as one of the strong men’s singles badminton players.
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