Badminton: Loh Kean Yew into China Open round of 16 after 2 tournament defeats

National badminton player Loh Kean Yew saw off a challenge from a rising Japanese star to book his spot in the last 16 of the China Open.

Loh, ranked 11th in the world, claimed a 2-1 win over Japan's world number 30 Yushi Tanaka in a round-of-32 match held at the Changzhou Olympics Sports Centre on Sep. 18.

This is the first time the pair have played each other.

Hard-fought match

Tanaka, who had shot up the rankings from 56th at the start of the year, did not give Loh an easy time.

The pair were level at 17-17 in the first game before Loh took the next four points to clinch it 21-17.

Tanaka then took the second game with the same scoreline, 21-17.

In the deciding third game, Loh wore down Tanaka with a variety of attacks, before eventually taking the game 21-12.

Loh will face either Denmark's world number 4 Anders Antonsen or Hong Kong's world number 21 Angus Ng in the round of 16.

Background

In August, former badminton world champion Loh achieved a personal milestone by making it to the knockout round of the Paris Olympics.

It is the furthest he had progressed in the tournament.

However, after losing to world number 2 and eventual winner Viktor Axelsen in the Olympic quarter-finals, Loh has struggled to find form.

He previously suffered two first-round defeats in successive tournaments, the Japan Open and Hong Kong Open.

Both were to lower-ranked opponents.

Top image from @sgolympics via Loh Kean Yew's Instagram.