Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew kept local hopes alive at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2026 presented by JK Technology, battling past India’s Srikanth Kidambi in a three-game contest that lasted just over an hour.

Loh, the last Singaporean remaining in the competition, held firm in key moments to defeat Kidambi 22–20, 19–21, 21–17 and secure his place in the men’s singles Round of 16. Fellow Singaporeans Jason Teh and Yeo Jia Min bowed out after straight-game defeats to Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, respectively.

Loh digs deep to keep home hopes alive

The opening game set the tone for a tense encounter, with both players trading momentum throughout. Loh looked to have built a small cushion late in the game, leading 18–15, but Kidambi responded with four consecutive points to move ahead 19–18.

Faced with game point shortly after, Loh stayed composed, saved Kidambi’s chance to close out the game, then strung together the decisive points to win the opener 22–20.

The second game followed a similar pattern, with the lead changing hands and neither player able to pull away. Loh again showed resilience late on, saving two game points, but Kidambi eventually forced the decider after Loh sent the shuttle out, and Kidambi took the game 21–19.

Backed by a 6,840-strong crowd at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Loh delivered a steadier performance in the final game. He built a 19–14 lead, but Kidambi narrowed the gap to two points and kept the pressure on in the closing stages. Loh, however, finished strongly, taking the final two points to seal a 21–17 win after one hour and three minutes.

Despite facing Kidambi twice recently, Loh said he did not read too much into their previous results. Loh had beaten Kidambi at the Badminton Asia Championships in April, before Kidambi responded with a win at the Thailand Open two weeks ago.

“Every hall, every place, every match is different. Every time we play a new match, it’s a start of a new match, so no matter what, we need to go in starting from zero,” said Loh.

He also credited the home crowd for pushing him through the difficult moments.

“I’m very thankful for the crowd; I think they have been very supportive. Like previous years and also this year, so yeah, I’m very thankful for all their support,” he added.

Loh will next face another Indian opponent, H. S. Prannoy, in tomorrow’s Round of 16. Prannoy holds a narrow 4–3 head-to-head advantage, having won their most recent meeting at the India Open earlier this year, 21–18, 19–21, 21–14.

Jason Teh and Yeo Jia Min bow out

Teh’s Singapore Open campaign ended in the opening round with a 19–21, 15–21 defeat to Chinese Taipei’s Chi.

Chi started the stronger of the two and opened up an early lead, but Teh gradually worked his way into the first game and levelled the score at 11–11. Chi then found another gear, stringing together a five-point run to create a gap. Teh fought hard in the closing stages, saving multiple game points with a four-point run of his own, but Chi held firm to take the opener 21–19.

The second game proved more difficult for the Singaporean, with Chi going on several scoring runs to take control. Teh continued to battle but was unable to close the gap as Chi wrapped up the match 21–15.

In the women’s singles, Yeo made a bright start against world No. 3 Yamaguchi, racing to an early 7–2 lead in the opening game. Yamaguchi, however, gradually settled into the match, using her placement and precision to draw level at 13–13 before finishing strongly with a four-point run to win the first game 21–16.

Yamaguchi carried that momentum into the second game, controlling the rallies from the outset and forcing Yeo all over the court. Yeo’s task grew even harder after she appeared to sustain a knee injury in the latter stages, leaving her moving gingerly for the rest of the match.

Yeo continued to fight, but Yamaguchi’s consistency and court control proved too much, and the Japanese shuttler closed out the match 21–11 in 35 minutes.

Defending champions stay on course

The defending champions in the men’s and women’s singles, and the men’s and mixed doubles, all advanced on Day 2, keeping their title defences alive at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Women’s singles defending champion Chen Yu Fei was made to work hard by Malaysia’s K. Letshanaa before coming through 19–21, 21–15, 21–17 in a 66-minute battle. After dropping a tight opening game, Chen responded strongly in the second and stayed composed in another closely contested decider, winning four consecutive points at a crucial stage before closing out the match.

Men’s singles defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand made light work of Belgium’s Julien Carraggi, winning 21–8, 21–18 in 38 minutes. Kunlavut was dominant in the opening game, stringing together an eight-point run and holding Carraggi to just eight points. The second game was tighter, with Carraggi leading in the middle stages, but Kunlavut stayed composed in the closing stages to finish strongly and complete the straight-games win.

Men’s doubles defending champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia also progressed safely, beating France’s Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov 21–17, 21–15 in 37 minutes. The Malaysians were tested at times, particularly in the opening game, but their steadier execution in key moments helped them maintain control and close out the match in straight games.

Mixed doubles defending champions Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran of Thailand defeated the United States’ Presley Smith and Jennie Gai 21–15, 21–15 in just 32 minutes. The Thai pair were consistent throughout both games, using timely scoring runs to build a gap and prevent the Americans from mounting a sustained comeback.

The KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2026 plays from 26th to 31st May 2026 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster, with daily passes priced from $40 and season passes from $115.