Badminton: Singapore's Loh Kean Yew upset by unseeded Indonesian opponent, out of SEA Games men's singles

BANGKOK: Singapore's long wait for a men’s singles SEA Games gold will go on after top seed Loh Kean Yew was upset by Indonesia’s world number 48 Zaki Ubaidillah in the quarter-finals.

At the Thammasat University Gymnasium 4 in Pathum Thani, the world number 10’s quest to become the first man to win singles gold since Wong Shoon Keat in 1983 ended as he lost 21-19, 21-10.

The unseeded Indonesian next faces Malaysia’s fourth seed Leong Jun Hao on Saturday (Dec 13).

In the opening round, Loh was made to work for his win by the Philippines' Jewel Angelo Albo. He beat the world number 214th 214th-ranked player 21-17, 21-19.

Zaki is no stranger to an upset against a Singaporean.

In the team event, the Indonesian demolished world number 21 Jason Teh 21-2, 21-13, en route to Indonesia’s 3-1 win over Singapore. The loss meant that the men’s team clinched bronze, as did the women’s team.

Earlier in the day, the mixed doubles pair of Terry Hee and Jin Yujia lost in straight games to Malaysia’s top seeds Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei. The men’s doubles duo of Junsuke Kubo and Wesley Koh fell to Indonesia’s fourth seeds Leo Carnando and Bagas Maulana 17-21, 19-21.

Loh's loss means Singapore's badminton players end their campaign with two bronzes, one less than at the last edition of the Games in Cambodia, where they also clinched bronze in the men's doubles.

Prior to the Games, the Singapore Badminton Association set a target of four medals for its contingent of 18.