Yeosu: In an exhilarating display of skill and determination, Singapore’s 2021 world champion, Loh Kean Yew, and Danish star, Anders Antonsen, emerged victorious in the men’s singles semi-finals of the Korea Open Super 500 on Saturday, setting the stage for an epic final showdown.
Highlights of Loh Kean Yew vs. Kodai Naraoka in the 2023 Korea Open semi-finals:
In an intense clash, the 4th seed Loh Kean Yew managed to overcome the 1st seed Kodai Naraoka with a thrilling score of 18-21, 21-16, 21-15, maintaining his unbeaten record against the latter in all three encounters. After a challenging start with a loss in the first game, Loh fought back from being 4-12 down in the second game, securing five consecutive points to stage a remarkable comeback. In the deciding game, Naraoka’s errors proved costly, and Loh Kean Yew seized the opportunity to claim victory.
This marks Loh Kean Yew’s first entry into the final of this year’s Badminton World Tour Tournament, except for his defeat against Indonesia’s Anthony in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships in April.
Ranked 16th in the world, Anders Antonsen faced a formidable challenge against the 3rd-seeded Shi Yuqi, securing a nail-biting victory of 21-16, 24-22. With this win, Anders Antonsen’s head-to-head record against Shi Yuqi stood at 2 wins and 3 losses. The second game proved to be a heart-stopping affair as Anders Antonsen held two match points at 20-18, only to have Shi Yu Qi equalize by saving two match points. However, Anders Antonsen displayed remarkable resilience and saved two match points at 20-21 and 21-22, eventually clinching the victory with a two-point lead. The intense battle lasted for 59 minutes.
In the women’s singles semi-final matches among the “Big Four”, Chinese Taipei’s No. 4 seed Tai Tzu Ying emerged triumphant against Japan’s world champion and No. 1 seed Akane Yamaguchi with a score of 21-17, 21-19, bringing their head-to-head record to 12 wins and 11 losses.
In another thrilling semi-final, An Se Young narrowly defeated the No. 3 seed from China, Chen Yufei, with a score of 15-21, 21-8, 24-22, putting an end to her two-game losing streak against Chen Yufei. Their head-to-head record now stands at 5 wins and 10 losses. An Se Young showcased unwavering determination as she fought back from being 12-19 down in the deciding game, saving four match points and eventually securing a victory of 24-22, which left her in tears of joy.
An Se Young had previously clinched victory in the Korea Open women’s singles final last year against Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong, winning 21-17, 21-18.
