Loh Opens On A High Note

S'porean sends pal Lanier packing as vowed, while Yeo downs Thai rival

- David Lee

Loh Kean Yew had joked about sending his badminton buddy Alex Lanier packing to France before the start of the KFF Singapore Open, after the duo trained together just days before the US$1 million (S$1.29 million) event.

On May 27, the world No. 10 Singaporean made good on his word with a battling 21-23, 21-17, 21-11 men's singles win over his ninth-ranked opponent in an hour at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The victory was Loh's first over Lanier, after losing to him in three games at the Denmark Open quarter-finals in 2024.

Asked if the familiarity from the sessions together helped him crack the deceptive techniques of Lanier, who likes to make no-look shots or play the shuttles late, the 27-year-old said: "It works both ways, and we know each other's game. It was still a tough match.

"He is a strong player and his skills are actually quite good, although it doesn't look like that with his body so jacked. It's not easy to play with him, because he has good smashes and is physically strong. It's also hard to play here, because the (draught) is very confusing sometimes. I tried to stay focused, and he lost a bit of focus and eventually his confidence."

In front of a partisan home crowd of 4,550, Loh showed true grit in the comeback win to set up a last-16 match on May 29 with another Frenchman, the 16th-ranked Toma Junior Popov.