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. The local victories came amidst commanding performances by defending champions and world No. 1s An Se Young and Shi Yu Qi.

World No. 10 Loh came from a game down to defeat world No. 9 Alex Lanier in a thrilling opening-round match, winning 21–23, 21–17, 21–11.

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.

Yeo also delighted home fans with a confident straight-games win over Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan (21–14, 21–13) in 41 minutes – a performance that now sets her up for a blockbuster second-round clash against the defending champion An. An leads Yeo 8–2 in their head-to-head.

Yeo settled into the match after a slow start, recovering from early pressure to pull ahead with deft control and placement. From a narrow 14–13 lead in the first game, she surged with five straight points to take control and close it out.

“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.”

Meanwhile, An eased into the next round with a confident victory over China’s Gao Fang Jie in her first match of the tournament. The defending champion took some time to adjust to the court conditions in the opening game, trailing for much of the first half. But a run of six consecutive points from 8–12 gave her a 14–12 lead, and she eventually closed out the game 21–16.

An was more composed in the second game, taking control from 2–1 and never looking back. She sealed the match 21–14 in just 49 minutes, extending her head-to-head record over Gao to 5–0 and maintaining her unbeaten streak in 2025.

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.”

Local shuttler Jason Teh bowed out in the opening round, falling to defending champion Shi in straight games, 16–21, 16–21. Teh put up a spirited performance in the second game, leading by as much as three points at various stages. But Shi showed his championship pedigree, reeling off six straight points at the close to wrap up the match in 42 minutes.

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.

Held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from 27 May to 1 June, the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2025 is a key stop on the BWF World Tour Super 750 series, offering a prize pool of US$1 million. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster, with daily passes ranging from $40 to $330 and season passes from $100 to $450.

Photo Credit: BADMINTONPHOTO

The KFF Badminton Open runs from 27th May to 1st June 2025. Tickets and more info available here