Singapore s Loh Kean Yew beats home favourite Chou Tien chen to win Taipei Open title

SINGAPORE – In clinching the Taipei Open crown on May 11, Loh Kean Yew bagged his 10th career badminton title as he became the first Singaporean to win at this tournament.

But more importantly, he looks to have rediscovered his killer instinct as he beat home favourite and world No. 7 Chou Tien-chen 21-14, 15-21, 22-20 in the men’s singles final of the US$240,000 (S$312,000) event for his first title since winning the Spain Masters in March 2024, four months before he became a father.

The 27-year-old told The Straits Times: “I have been in training and on the tour a lot, and I don’t get to spend a lot of time with my wife and baby. I’m really glad to win this title. It feels like my hard work and sacrifices are worth it.

“We are certainly moving in the right direction, so hopefully we will keep doing well.”

Throughout the Taipei Open, world No. 11 Loh showed his mental fortitude to come back from deficits to beat Hong Kong’s Chan Yin Chak (105th),Finland’s Joakim Oldorff (52nd),Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul (49th) of Thailand and Taiwanese Wang Tzu-wei (26th) in the earlier rounds.

He displayed more of the same in the final against 35-year-old Chou, who has done outstandingly to get back into the top 10 after bouncing back from stage zero colorectal cancer in 2023.

Loh made a fine start in the first game to lead 3-0, but soon found himself trailing 8-10.

Instead of folding, he fought to regain control of the game and began his comeback by winning a 52-shot rally with a body shot after making two diving backhand saves. He also won 13 out of 17 points, including all the last six points, to close out the opener.

Seeking his fifth Taipei Open title, Chou