KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2025 Round of 16: Loh Kean Yew Illustrates Comeback to Defeat Toma Junior Popov, Yeo Jia Min Falls to World No. 1 An Se Young
- SportPlus News
- May 30, 2025
- 3 min read
Team Singapore's shuttlers both put on thrilling performances for the local crowd, but the with Yeo Jia Min's exit, KFFSBO 2025 is now left with one local athlete in the quarterfinals
World No. 10 Loh Kean Yew delighted a strong home crowd after clawing past Toma Junior Junior Popov, winning 21-12, 14-21, 21-18. Loh took the first game with sharp shot-making and good court control, but Popov struck back in the second as errors started to creep into Loh’s game.
The decider saw the Frenchman surge to a five-point lead at 14-9, but Loh showed resilience and fed off crowd energy to launch a stunning comeback, reeling off five straight points from 16-18 down to seal the match in just over an hour.
Loh said: “It was hard to control the draft today – the wind conditions, the shuttle, and he was playing well today. I just focused (on) one (shot) by one (shot), and I was just thinking to myself, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’”
Next, Loh faces Toma’s younger brother Christo Popov, who beat India’s Prannoy H. S. in straight games (21-16, 21-14). Loh holds a 3–2 edge in their head-to-head, with the last encounter going his way at the 2024 Spain Masters 19-21, 21-17, 21-11.
In the women’s singles, defending champion and world No. 1 An Se Young remained on track to defend her title, defeating Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min 21-14, 21-13. The first game was tight early on, but once the score reached 9-9, An picked up the pace and pulled away. The second game saw her take the lead from the outset and close out the match in 41 minutes.
An said: “The home crowd's cheer was very loud and to be honest, I was a bit intimidated. So, I tried to find my pace as soon as possible. I also know that Jia Min is very fast on the court, so I tried to keep up with her speed, and I think it worked well.”
An now faces world No. 5 Chen Yu Fei in a blockbuster quarterfinal – a rematch of last year’s final. Chen advanced after edging India’s P.V. Sindhu in a tight three-gamer (21-9, 18-21, 21-16). While Chen leads their rivalry 13–12, An won their most recent encounter in straight games at the 2025 All England Open.
The tournament’s biggest upset came as world No. 1 and defending champion Shi was ousted by compatriot Lu Guang Zu in a gripping three-game battle (17-21, 21-13, 26-24). Shi looked on course to close out the match after saving match points and leading 24-23, but Lu dug deep and surged ahead to win after 67 minutes of drama.
Lu will face Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in the quarterfinals, with their rivalry evenly poised at 3-3. However, Lu has claimed the last three encounters, including a straight-games victory at this year’s Thailand Open (21-15, 21-15).
Lu said: “Tomorrow’s match against Kodai will be a tough one, not just because of him, but also the conditions, especially with the wind. There’s also the emotional aspect to manage. I’ll need to prepare well, as I’ll have to run with him and be ready for long rallies and exchanges.”
Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu also delivered an upset, beating world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen 21-12, 21-16. He now faces Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi, who stunned last year’s finalist Li Shi Feng 21-18, 21-14. This will be their first-ever meeting.
Thailand’s world No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, looking to make up for his withdrawal last year, eased past China’s Wang Zheng Xing 21-8, 21-17. He will take on Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao, who eliminated world No. 5 Jonatan Christie 21-16, 21-19. The Malaysian holds a narrow head-to-head lead and last defeated Kunlavut in a tight match at this year’s Thailand Open.
What an exciting comeback from Loh Kean Yew! Coming back from 14-9 down and then closing the match with five straight points shows incredible resilience and mental strength. The home crowd clearly played a big role in the atmosphere. It was also great to see such high-quality badminton being covered in detail. Just like Business Card Printing creates a strong first impression for a brand, Loh's performance certainly left a memorable impression on the Singapore crowd.
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