SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Loh Kean Yew is one win away from ending the home nation’s 16-year drought at the Singapore Open after a 21-15, 15-21, 21-9 victory over Japan’s 19th-ranked Koki Watanabe in their men’s singles semi-final on May 30.
Backed by vociferous support from 7,220 spectators at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, the world No. 14 reached his home final for the first time by winning another three-game encounter.
Earlier, Loh had also required three games to beat each of India’s 37th-ranked Srikanth Kidambi, 35th-ranked H.S. Prannoy and 18th-ranked Taiwanese Chi Yu-jen.
In the title-decider of the US$1 million (S$1.28 million) KFF Singapore Badminton Open on May 31, Loh will play ninth-ranked Alex Lanier of France, who beat Indonesia’s world No. 13 Alwi Farhan 21-14, 21-11 in a battle of two up-and-coming 21-year-olds in the other semi-final.
If Loh prevails, he will become the first Singaporean to triumph at the home tournament since 2010 women’s doubles champions Shinta Mulia Sari and Yao Lei.
The 28-year-old will also become the first Singaporean to win the men’s singles title since Wee Choon Seng in 1962. Ronald Susilo was the last Singaporean to reach the men’s singles final in 2002.
The women’s singles final will be contested between South Korea’s world No. 1 An Se-young and Japan’s third-ranked Akane Yamaguchi, after both overcame Chinese opponents.
An, the 2023 and 2024 champion, came from behind to beat world No. 4 and defending champion Chen Yufei 20-22, 21-12, 21-15, while Yamaguchi defeated second-ranked Wang Zhiyi 21-13, 17-21, 21-15. -- The Straits Times/ANN
