Tactical tweak helps Loh Kean Yew stage comeback win to reach Taipei Open final
Loh Kean Yew (above) will meet home favourite Chou Tien-chen in the Taipei Open final on May 11. PHOTO: BADMINTONPHOTO
SINGAPORE – World No. 11 Loh Kean Yew is one win away from his 10th career title after he beat home hopeful Wang Tzu-wei 21-18, 21-9 in the men's singles semi-finals of the US$240,000 (S$311,650) Taipei Open on May 10.
He will meet Taiwanese world No. 7 Chou Tien-chen in the final on May 11. The four-time Taipei Open champion, who beat India's 44th-ranked Ayush Shetty 21-18, 21-17 in the other semi-final, has a 4-3 head-to-head record against Loh after winning their latest meeting in the 2024 Thailand Masters final.
The 27-year-old Singaporean said: 'I'm happy to be in another final. The job is not done and I shall remain focused and be ready for tomorrow. It's going to be another tough game facing the home favourite, but I will prepare myself to the fullest and give it my all.'
After a rousing welcome for both players in the first semi-final at the Taipei Arena, it was Wang who settled down quickest as Loh misjudged the flight of the shuttlecock to allow Wang to draw first blood and proceeded to lose the next six points as well.
At the interval, the seven-point deficit remained as Loh lifted his shot too long for the third time.
Despite growing into the game and capitalising on his opponent's mistakes to get to 9-11, Loh soon found himself trailing 10-16 as Wang won with a series of good net plays and body shots.
A timely tactical shift paid dividends, as national singles head coach Kim Ji-hyun said: 'Because of the draught, the speed of the shuttle was so much faster on one side of the court compared to the other side. I had to ask Kean Yew to change tactics to attack more and dominate the front court.'
Loh agreed, adding: 'I had trouble controlling the draught which was not to my favour, so I did my best to come up with solutions and I'm glad I managed to turn the tide.'
Then came the stunning comeback as the Singaporean found his range and was able to unleash his ferocious attacks.
Loh struck critical psychological blows, winning a challenge to make it 16-16, before coming out tops in an enthralling 49-shot rally featuring quick reflexes and theatrical saves to lead for the first time at 18-17. He then closed out the game 21-18 with good net shots and yelled: 'Come on!'
World No. 26 Wang, whose last tournament was at the Swiss Open in March when he retired with injury, later admitted he had problems getting back into the game after his opponent raised the tempo.
He had beaten the Singaporean in their last three encounters, with six of their eight previous meetings going to a decider.
Loh was in no mood to extend proceedings this time round, showing a good variety of shots to stay unpredictable as he eased to a 21-9 win in the second game to seal his place in the final.
It has been a steady return to form for the 2021 world champion after he won just five out of 15 matches since making it to the 2024 Paris Olympics quarter-finals.
In 2025, he reached the German Open final in March, losing to Denmark's Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. He also made it to the All England Open quarter-finals later that month and finished joint-third at the Badminton Asia Championships in April.
Besides his 2021 world title, Loh has won thrice on the Badminton World Federation World Tour with victories at the 2019 Thailand Masters, 2021 Hylo Open and 2024 Spain Masters. He also has five lower-tier international titles.
David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
7 hours ago
- Business Times
Florian Wirtz wants to ‘win everything' for Liverpool after record move
[LIVERPOOL] Florian Wirtz said he wants to win it all at Liverpool after completing a blockbuster move from Bayer Leverkusen on Friday (Jun 20), which could reportedly rise to a Premier League record fee. Reports in England said the Premier League champions will pay an initial £100 million (S$173 million) for Wirtz, comfortably surpassing their own record outlay, with a further £16 million in performance-related add-ons making it a British record deal. However, German media suggested the fee could be even higher, starting at 130 million euros (US$193 million) with add-ons taking it to 150 million euros. One of European football's elite young stars, Wirtz has been hailed as one of the 'best in the world' by former Leverkusen coach and ex-Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is the new boss of Real Madrid. 'I would like to win everything every year!' Wirtz told the club's website. 'In the end, we want to be successful. Last season they won the Premier League so my goal is for sure to win it again and also to go further in the Champions League. I'm really ambitious.' A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up The 22-year-old played a crucial role in Leverkusen's greatest season as they claimed a first-ever Bundesliga title and the German Cup in 2023/24 without losing a single game under Alonso. Their only defeat that season, during which Wirtz was crowned Bundesliga player of the year, came in the Europa League final to Atalanta, denying Leverkusen a memorable treble. Bayern Munich restored their grip on the German game last season, with Leverkusen a distant second, and Wirtz is joining an exodus from the BayArena. Netherlands defender Jeremie Frimpong has already made the move from Leverkusen to Liverpool last month. New adventure 'I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me,' added Wirtz, who turned down the option of joining Bayern for the move to England. 'This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League.' After largely keeping their powder dry in the transfer market during Arne Slot's first season in charge, the Reds are splashing out to strengthen a side that romped to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title. Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is poised to make the move to Anfield in a £40 million deal. Liverpool have also been linked with Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi. Where Wirtz's fits into Slot's plans remains to be seen. He largely played behind a central striker at Leverkusen and has operated from a wider role for Germany. A return of 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 games for Leverkusen is evidence that he carries a threat both as a creator and a goalscorer. 'The people say I'm a creative player, and I hope I can bring this creativity to the team and also the joy on the pitch,' said Wirtz. 'I try to make assists, goals and run for the team to defend. I hope I can just make the team one step better.' Liverpool are already blessed with an abundance of forward options, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo all offering a goal threat. However, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa now face even stiffer competition to get into Slot's starting line-up, raising the prospect of Liverpool selling some of that trio to free up further transfer resources. AFP
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder, wushu exponent Zeanne Law win top honours at Singapore Sports Awards
Singapore's Zeanne Law is the first wushu exponent to win the Sportswoman of the Year accolade. PHOTO: CHEAH CHENG POH Singaporean kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder, who clinched bronze at the Paris Olympics, earned his first Sportsman of the Year gong at the 2025 Singapore Sports Awards on June 20. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG SINGAPORE – Singaporean kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder added another feather to his cap on June 20, when he was named Sportsman of the Year at the Singapore Sports Awards for the first time. It was his first nomination for the award, having previously won Sportsboy of the Year for three consecutive years. Following an impressive 2024 season, the 18-year-old edged out strong contenders – silat exponent Sheik Farhan Bin Sheik Alau'ddin, pool player Aloysius Yapp, badminton's Loh Kean Yew, and wushu exponent Jowen Lim – to clinch the Sportsman gong at the ceremony held at Swissotel The Stamford Singapore. Maeder is the first sailor to win the top men's award since 1999, when Siew Shaw Her, who won gold in the men's 420 class at the 1998 Asian Games, last received the accolade. The teenager dominated the international kitefoiling circuit in 2024, winning nearly every event, including the European and World Championships. In August, he became Singapore's sixth and youngest Olympic medallist after clinching bronze at the Marseille Marina. After the Olympics, Maeder continued his fine form by clinching the overall title at the Kitefoil World Series, before capping off a stellar season with victory at the Formula Kite Youth European Championships. His achievements were further recognised in November, when he was named World Sailing's Male Young Sailor of the Year. The Sportswoman of the Year award also had a first-time winner in Zeanne Law, who is the first wushu exponent to win the top female accolade. The other nominees for the award were Daphne Tan (bowling), Valencia Yip (kickboxing), Teh Xiu Hong (shooting), Nurdianna Sidek (silat) and Gan Ching Hwee (swimming). In 2024, Law won gold in the women's taijiquan and optional taijishan events at the World Taijiquan Championships in Singapore, in addition to a women's optional taijiquan gold at the Asian Wushu Championships. With their wins on June 20, both Maeder and Law became the first athletes in two decades to claim both junior and senior honours in consecutive years. Swimmer Mark Chay was the last male athlete to be crowned the 2001 Sportsboy and 2002 Sportsman, while sailor Joan Huang claimed the 1998 Sportsgirl and 1999 Sportswoman gongs. Organised by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and Sport Singapore (SportSG), the annual ceremony honours outstanding sporting achievements of those who have done well at the national and international levels. The event, which is supported by the Tote Board, was attended by SNOC president Grace Fu and Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo. The Straits Times senior correspondent David Lee picked up the Most Inspiring Sports Story of the Year award for his story 'Old is gold for Singapore's 70-year-old darts legend Paul Lim'. Assistant sports editor Rohit Brijnath and journalist Deepanraj Ganesan were also nominated for the award for their stories 'Joseph Schooling took us to brilliant places we'd never been to before' and 'From despair to delight: Jeralyn Tan's journey to boccia silver at the Paralympics' respectively. Singapore Sports Awards winners (selected) Sportsman of the Year: Maximilian Maeder (Sailing) Sportswoman of the Year: Zeanne Law (Wushu) Sportsboy of the Year: Kai Minejima Lee (Indoor Skydiving) Sportsgirl of the Year: Charlotte Ng (Wushu) Coach of the Year: Yeo Mee Hong (Netball) Team of the Year (event): Bowling Men's Team (2024 Asian Bowling Championships) Team of the Year (sport): Netball team Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Explainer: Breaking down the Buss family's US$10 billion sale of Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold in a record-breaking US$10 billion deal that makes the iconic franchise the highest-valued sports team in US history. PHOTO: AFP Explainer: Breaking down the Buss family's US$10 billion sale of Los Angeles Lakers The Buss family, architects of 11 National Basketball Association (NBA) championships, is poised to relinquish their four-decade reign over the Los Angeles Lakers, with ESPN reporting they are entering an agreement to sell a majority stake in basketball's most glamorous franchise. The following is the breakdown of the deal: WHAT IS AT STAKE? Lakers minority owner Mark Walter is set to take majority ownership in a deal valuing the Lakers at about US$10 billion (S$12.84 billion), making it the most expensive United States sports team valuation in history. The deal will end family control of the Lakers. The Buss family will retain a minority share of just over 15 per cent for a period of time after the deal, ESPN reported, bringing to a close its stewardship of a franchise that became synonymous with Hollywood allure and championship excellence. Reuters could not immediately ascertain what Walter's new stake in the team would be. He purchased a minority stake in the Lakers with Todd Boehly in 2021. The previous record for biggest sports deal was held by the Boston Celtics, who agreed in March to be sold for US$6.1 billion. WHO ARE THE LAKERS? The Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in National Basketball Association history. The team was valued at US$7.1 billion by Forbes in 2024, behind only the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks in the NBA. They are the second-most successful NBA team with 17 championships. The Celtics have 18. Jerry Buss, who bought the Lakers for US$67.5 million in 1979, transformed them into one of the most well-known franchises in professional sports. The team won five championships during the celebrated "Showtime" era of the 1980s. The Lakers have LeBron James, arguably the league's biggest star, on their roster. They also snapped up Slovenian Luka Doncic in a high-profile trade with the Dallas Mavericks in February. WHO IS MARK WALTER? Walter is a 65-year-old American billionaire businessman who is CEO and chairman of holding company TWG Global. He is also CEO of investment firm Guggenheim Partners. Walter, whose net worth is listed as US$6.1 billion by Forbes, has owned the LA Dodgers baseball team since 2012. He is adding the Lakers to a sporting portfolio that includes stakes in the Cadillac Formula One team, the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and English Premier League football club Chelsea. WHO ARE THE BUSS FAMILY? Jerry Buss's 66 per cent stake in the Lakers was passed on to his six children via a family trust after his death in 2013. Buss died at the age of 80 due to kidney failure. His daughter, Jeanie, took over as principal owner after his death and is set to continue as team governor, maintaining a family connection to the purple-and-gold empire her father built. WHICH ARE SOME OTHER NOTABLE SPORTS DEALS? The Celtics set the previous benchmark in NBA sale valuations after agreeing to a US$6.1 billion sale to a group headed by private equity firm Symphony Technology Group co-founder William Chisholm in March. The National Football League's (NFL) Washington Commanders sold for US$6.05 billion in July 2023, in a deal that, at the time, was the biggest for a North American sports franchise. Also in 2023, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe finalised a deal to acquire a minority stake in Manchester United that valued the English football club at US$6.3 billion. In 2022, former owner Roman Abramovich sold Chelsea to a consortium led by Boehly that included Walter, for about US$3.2 billion. WHEN IS THE LEAGUE EXPECTED TO FINALISE THE SALE? Final approval of the sale could take several months. The Celtics' sale has yet to receive final approval from the NBA Board of Governors. The Board is scheduled to meet in July in Las Vegas, though that session is expected to focus primarily on potential league expansion plans. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
