KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2025: Team Singapore's Yeo Jia Min and Loh Kean Yew Progress to Round of 16
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Team Singapore's shuttlers put on resounding performances at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2025 opening round, including Jason Teh who eventually fell to Shi Yu Qi
It was a strong start for Singapore’s shuttlers on Day 1 of the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2025, with both Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min progressing to the next round in style.
Jason Teh was the first of his compatriots to take to the court at this year's KFFSBO 2025—and it was nothing short of a thriller to kick things off at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Drawn against World No. 1 and KFFSBO defending champion Shi Yu Qi in what was arguably the toughest opening-round matchup in the men’s singles, Teh entered the court as the underdog—but he certainly didn’t go down without a fight.
Shi claimed the first set with a commanding 21-16 win, but faltered in the second as he struggled to find his rhythm—opening the door for Teh to seize control and build a lead that at one point stretched to four points.
The Chinese shuttler however, showed just why he deserved to be at the top of the world rankings and caught up to the Singaporean World No. 24. Shi staged a successful comeback which saw him win 21-16 in two straight sets.
Reflecting on the match, Teh said: “I was really hoping to play a few more matches, but since I drew him (Shi), there’s nothing I can do about it. I just have to face it positively and take it as a chance to learn a lot from him. Maybe if I played someone else, whether I won or lost, I wouldn’t gain something as valuable because he’s the world number one, so technically the best. So I faced it with a positive mindset.
Shi will next face compatriot Lu Guang Zu, who advanced after a hard-fought three-game win over Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia Hao (19–21, 21–15, 21–16) in a gruelling 69-minute battle. The head-to-head record strongly favours the world No. 1, with Shi leading 11–2, including a straight-games victory earlier this year (21–18, 21–16) at the Malaysia Open.
Next to represent Singapore was Yeo Jia Min, and by the time the 26-year-old took the court, the Singapore Indoor Stadium had begun to fill up—creating for an electrifying atmosphere as she went up against Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungpham.
The two were set for a close fight for the spot in the round of 16, seeing as Yeo sits just one spot above Ongbamrungpham in the BWF World Rankings.
The World No. 11 and 12 took turns taking the lead in the first set, before Yeo eventually ran away with the lead and won 21-14.
The home favourite earned herself a chorus of cheers each time she scored a point, and eventually took the second set 21-13 in a game that lasted 41 minutes.
“It is really warm to know that there are a lot more supporters supporting badminton in Singapore, said Yeo. “There’s maybe a little bit more excitement, wanting to do well for Singaporean fans.”
The win now sets up a blockbuster clash against defending champion and World No. 1 An Se Young, who eased through her round of 32 match against China’s Gao Fang Jie.
An said: “After the team competition (Surdiman Cup), I finally made a comeback in an individual tournament here at the Singapore Open. I'm glad to win my first event back in an individual tournament. I had some difficulty controlling the game, but the result was good. So overall I'm glad; I'm satisfied.”
Before the adrenaline—still surging through the stadium after Yeo’s victory—had a chance to settle, Team Singapore star Loh Kean Yew stepped onto the court.
And the best was saved for last.
Similar to Yeo and Ongbamrungpham, Loh's opponent, Alex Lanier sits just one spot above Loh in the world rankings—making for another equally contested match.
Lanier came out firing, dominating much of the first game with powerful smashes and establishing a six-point lead during the game. Loh showed grit to claw back, scoring five consecutive points from 13–18 down, and then another three-point burst from 17–19 to earn a game point at 20–19. However, the Frenchman did enough to hold off Loh’s charge, edging the game 23–21.
Loh bounced back strongly in the second game, upping his aggression and forcing a string of unforced errors from Lanier. After pulling ahead from 6–6, Loh never relinquished the lead.
In the decider, Loh seized control early with blistering smashes and built momentum with the backing of the home crowd. From 2–1, he led throughout and closed out the match in emphatic fashion.
Loh said: “I’m happy to be able to win a seeded player here at the Singapore Open.”
Loh will next face another Frenchman, Toma Junior Popov, who came through against Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in straight games 21-19, 21-15. Loh holds a dominant 5-0 head-to-head record against the world No. 16.
With both Loh and Yeo onto the next round, Singapore now eagerly awaits Terry Hee and Jin Yujia's test against Indonesians Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja, another recently formed pair. They mixed doubles pairs are set to take to the court today (28 May) at an estimated time of 6.20pm at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.