Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew defeats Japan's world No. 10 Kanta Tsuneyama
Patience has been the name of the game for Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew since the turn of the year, and it paid dividends on Wednesday (Jan 15) when his measured approach helped him claim another scalp in his rising career.
The 22-year-old defeated Japan’s world No. 10 Kanta Tsuneyama 24-22, 21-9 in the first round of the Indonesia Masters at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta.
Loh, who is ranked world No. 39, said: “I have been trying to play patiently and wait for the chance to gain points in rallies.
“My opponent was unable to keep up with the consistency and made mistakes in the second game. It feels happy to make it past the first round.”
Loh had a breakthrough 2019, which started with him defeating China’s five-time world champion Lin Dan in the Thailand Masters final.
Last month, he became the first Singaporean shuttler to win a SEA Games silver medal in the men's singles since Kendrick Lee in 2007. Following his defeat by Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia, Loh noted that he had lost because he was rushing some of his shots.
At the Indonesia Masters yesterday, Singapore’s world No. 26 Yeo Jia Min lost 21-15, 21-14 to Scotland’s 31st-ranked Kirsty Gilmour in the first round of the women's singles.
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