Loh Kean Yew has secured Singapore’s first individual Asian Games badminton medal after defeating Indonesia’s world No. 1 Jonatan Christie 21-14, 21-19 in the men’s singles quarter-finals.
The world No. 13 Singaporean won in straight games at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium on 27 September to reach the semi-finals. The result ended a 10-match winless run against Christie and ensured Loh will leave the Games with at least bronze.
There is no bronze-medal match in the individual badminton competition, with both beaten semi-finalists receiving bronze medals. Loh will now face South Korea’s Yoo Tae-bin for a place in the final.
Loh overturns a difficult head-to-head record
The quarter-final was Loh’s first win over Christie after 10 previous unsuccessful meetings. It was also a significant result against the top-ranked player in the world, achieved after Loh had already played two singles matches within less than 12 hours on 26 September.
Loh took the opening game 21-14 after holding an 11-10 advantage at the interval. Christie made the stronger start to the second game, but Loh put together seven consecutive points to move 11-6 ahead at the break.
Christie then recovered the deficit, drawing level at 14-14 before taking an 18-16 lead. Loh responded in the closing stages, however, and completed the match without it going to a deciding game.
Afterwards, Loh said he had tried to stay consistent and to focus on each point. He also said that he needed to concentrate on recovery and preparation rather than becoming carried away by the quarter-final result.
Christie had been part of Indonesia’s gold-winning men’s team at these Games. Before facing Loh, he had beaten Sri Lanka’s Viren Nettasinghe in three games in a round-of-16 tie played into the early hours of the morning.
The straight-games outcome was particularly notable given Loh’s previous record against Christie and the Indonesian’s late position in the second game. Loh’s response at 18-16 down turned a potential deciding game into a medal-clinching victory.
Singapore had previously won only one Asian Games badminton medal: women’s team bronze at the 2006 Doha Games. Loh’s progression to the last four therefore guarantees the country’s first individual badminton medal at the event.
A demanding route and another upset specialist
Loh’s quarter-final success followed a busy start to his singles campaign. On 26 September, he defeated India’s Lakshya Sen, then ranked world No. 14, 21-12, 15-21, 21-14 in the round of 32. He subsequently beat Malaysia’s Justin Hoh in the round of 16.
| Stage | Opponent | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | Lakshya Sen, India | Loh won 21-12, 15-21, 21-14 |
| Round of 16 | Justin Hoh, Malaysia | Loh progressed |
| Quarter-final | Jonatan Christie, Indonesia | Loh won 21-14, 21-19 |
Loh will meet Yoo, who is ranked world No. 46, in the semi-finals. The South Korean has reached that stage after victories over Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-yi, China’s Shi Yu Qi and Japan’s Kodai Naraoka.
Those opponents were ranked world No. 11, No. 6 and No. 7 respectively. Yoo’s results mean his ranking alone does not describe the scale of the challenge awaiting Loh in the last four.
Loh, a former world champion, has already secured an individual Asian Games badminton medal for Singapore. His remaining match against Yoo will determine whether he can progress beyond the bronze already guaranteed by his semi-final place.
Loh’s opening win over Sen had been his first singles victory at the Asian Games in two appearances. He had exited at the same round-of-32 stage at the 2023 Hangzhou Games after receiving an opening-round bye, but has now moved through three rounds in Nagoya.
The semi-final presents Loh with an opponent whose route has also included victories against higher-ranked players. Yoo’s wins over Lin, Shi and Naraoka came before his meeting with Loh, while the Singaporean’s own path has included the wins over Sen, Hoh and Christie.