Loh Kean Yew falls to old foe Kunlavut Vitidsarn in quarter-finals of World C'ships
Loh Kean Yew's badminton world championship title defence ended on Friday (Aug 26) after he lost 21-12, 17-21, 21-8 to Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Japan.
World No. 17 Kunlavut, world youth champion from 2017 to 2019, will go on to play China's 23rd-ranked Zhao Junpeng for a place in the final.
The other semi-final will be contested between Taiwanese world No. 4 Chou Tien-chen and Indonesia's sixth-ranked Anthony Sinisuka Ginting or Denmark's Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen.
After the quarter-final, the 25-year-old Loh said: "I gave my best, I gave my all, but I couldn't win.
"I have no regrets because I gave everything on the court. He was more ready for the third game to control the pace and that's something I need to work on.
"Overall, I have been playing the best I can. I think I did okay to overcome some mental barriers and play more freely, I'm satisfied with my performance, but definitely there's a lot more to improve on."
Kunlavut, 21, had beaten eighth-ranked Loh in the SEA Games men's singles final in May, and on Friday, he again used his world-class defensive ability to pressure the defending champion into committing numerous unforced errors.
The Thai's cat-like reflexes and comprehensive court coverage make him hard to beat, which meant Loh had to be precise and patient. However, in the Singaporean's attempts to play the shuttle out of Kunlavut's reach in the first game, he sent numerous shots just long or wide.
With his tournament life on the line, Loh unleashed his full repertoire of attacking shots and combinations to roar to a 17-6 lead in the second game. And even then, Kunlavut made life difficult for his 25-year-old opponent by saving six game points before conceding.
In the decider, Kunlavut repelled Loh's smashes and wore his rival out with long rallies - one of which lasted for 59 shots - for the win.
National singles coach Kelvin Ho said: “Both players were tired in the decider, but a slow game is more advantageous to Kunlavut’s defensive style. On top of not being easy to kill, he also had good shot quality and was more precise.”
But Ho feels that Loh is nearing his best again ahead of his next competition, the Aug 30-Sept 4 Japan Open.
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