Singapore's Loh Kean Yew advances to BWF World Championships quarters after comeback against Japan's Naraoka
Loh will next face either South Korea's Jeon Hyeok-jin or Canada's Victor Lai, both of whom are unseeded.
Singapore's Loh Kean Yew reacts after winning against Japan's Kodai Naraoka in the men's singles match at the BWF World Championships at the Adidas Arena in Paris, on Aug 28, 2025.
(Photo: AFP/Bertrand Guay)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Loh Kean Yew displayed remarkable resilience on Thursday (Aug 28) and dug himself out from one game down to beat Japan's Kodai Naraoka, booking his spot in the BWF World Championships men's singles quarter-finals.
At the Adidas Arena in Paris, the 2021 world champion secured victory in just over an hour despite a lopsided opener where he lost 5-21.
Loh, who missed the Japan and China Opens in July due to a bacterial infection, took the next two games 21-19, 21-19.
Naraoka is ranked eighth in the world, one spot above Loh. But the 24-year-old has never beaten the Singaporean, and the loss takes Loh to 7-0 against the World Championships silver medalist.
Loh will on Friday face either South Korea's Jeon Hyeok-jin or Canada's Victor Lai, both of whom are unseeded.
In the early rounds, Loh dispatched Mauritius' Georges Julien Paul and Finland's Kalle Koljonen to march into the round of 16.
However, he is the only Singaporean left standing in the tournament, with world number 24 Jason Teh losing to China's Lu Guangzu in the opening round.
In the round of 32, top women's singles player Yeo Jia Min crashed out after a loss to Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
