Loh Kean Yew delivered another assured performance to become the first Singaporean since 2002 to reach the men’s singles final of the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2026, presented by JK Technology, defeating Japan’s Koki Watanabe 21–15, 15–21, 21–9 in 63 minutes.

He will face France’s Alex Lanier in tomorrow’s final after the Frenchman delivered a dominant 21–14, 21–11 win over Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan earlier in the evening.

Loh storms into final after strong finish

Loh made a strong start in the opening game, using a six-point run to move into a 9–2 lead. Watanabe tried to work his way back into the contest, but Loh stayed composed, kept the rallies under control, and closed out the first game 21–15.

The second game was far tighter, with both players trading momentum and neither able to pull away for long. Watanabe adjusted well in the latter stages, increasing the pressure and forcing Loh into more uncomfortable positions. From 15–15, the Japanese shuttler won six consecutive points to take the game 21–15, forcing a decider.

Watanabe carried that momentum into the third game, racing to a 3–0 lead before Loh settled. The Singaporean then found another gear, stringing together eight consecutive points through sharper attacking play, improved defence and better control in longer rallies. From there, Loh never looked back, closing out the final game 21–9 to seal his place in the final.

Reflecting on his win, an elated Loh said: “Like I said, I take one match at a time. I think, most importantly, the best thing about this week is that I managed to show up every day and play in the tournament every day, including tomorrow. Whether I win or not, I’m still here to play the tournament.”

Lanier edges the head-to-head 2–1. While Lanier won their most recent meeting at the Indonesia Open, Loh beat the Frenchman at last year’s Singapore Open in a three-game contest, winning 21–23, 21–17, 21–11 in an hour.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s final, Loh said: “Alex is a very strong player, and everyone knows that. You’ve seen how he played today, and he’s full of confidence, and he’s very strong. Ultimately, tomorrow is the last day of the tournament, and I’m glad I made it till the end. I’m just happy with the way it is, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to fight. I’m still going to give my all and do my best.”

Lanier, meanwhile, is expecting a difficult test against Loh and the home crowd:  “I know that Loh with the crowd, he can be extremely dangerous. He is actually very good, playing well in this tournament, and yeah, I’m actually excited about it,” said Lanier.

An digs deep to make third Singapore Open final

World No. 1 An Se Young remains on course for a third Singapore Open title in four years after a hard-fought semi-final win over defending champion Chen Yu Fei, coming from a game down to win 20–22, 21–12, 21–15 in one hour and 23 minutes.

An started strongly in the opening game and looked on track to take control, but Chen worked her way back into the contest with a five-point run to level the score at 10–10. From there, the game tightened, with both players trading momentum through to the closing stages. An held a game point at 20–19, but Chen stayed composed and took the final three points to edge the opener 22–20.

The second game brought a different kind of test for An. The South Korean looked uncomfortable early on and, while trailing 1–3, informed the umpire that she was not feeling well. She later said she was struggling with a headache and fever, but managed to push through the discomfort and regain control of the match. Once she settled, An raised the pace and was far sharper in the rallies, pulling away to take the game 21–12.

An carried that momentum into the decider, racing to a 12–4 lead with more aggressive and precise play. Chen threatened another comeback, cutting the deficit to 13–11, but An responded strongly. From 13–12, she put together a five-point run to reopen the gap and closed out the match soon after.

“It was difficult today. She was very fast, very sharp, and her shots were of good quality, so today’s match was very difficult,” said An.

“I was very tired. In the first game, I overplayed, so I had a headache and a high fever. My head was in pain. I’m worried for tomorrow, but I hope I recover fast and I will do my best.”

An will face world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi in tomorrow’s final after the Japanese battled past China’s Wang Zhi Yi 21–13, 17–21, 21–15 in one hour and three minutes.

Yamaguchi had lost her previous six meetings against Wang, but stayed composed to turn the matchup in her favour this time. She made a strong start, turning an early 2–3 deficit into an 11–3 lead with a nine-point run before taking the opener 21–13.

Wang responded in the second, staying sharper in the longer exchanges and pulling away late to force a decider. The final game stayed tight until 12–12, before Yamaguchi strung together five straight points to take control and close out the match 21–15.

An and Yamaguchi have faced each other 32 times, with An edging the head-to-head 17–15. The South Korean has won their last three meetings, though Yamaguchi will enter the final with momentum after winning the Thailand Open two weeks ago and reaching her second straight final.

Doubles final set as Shetty and Rankireddy end world No. 1’s 2026 unbeaten run

In the men’s doubles, India’s world No. 4 pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy ended world No. 1 pair Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae’s unbeaten 2026 run, winning 21–19, 21–18 in 52 minutes.

They will face Indonesia’s world No. 3 pair Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, who also impressed in their semi-final. After edging a tight opening game 23–21, the Indonesians held China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang to just four points in the second, sealing a 23–21, 21–4 win in 37 minutes.

The women’s doubles final will be an all-China affair, with world No. 1 pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning set to face Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian.

Liu and Tan booked their place with a 21–15, 21–10 win over South Korea’s Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee, while Jia and Zhang defeated Japan’s Arisa Igarashi and Chiharu Shida 21–13, 21–14.

In mixed doubles, Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara continued their impressive Singapore Open run, beating India’s Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto 21–16, 17–21, 21–13 to reach the final.

They will face in-form Danish pair Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje, who came through their semi-final against China’s Gao Jia Xuan and Wei Ya Xin in straight games, winning 21–11, 21–13.

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.