Loh Kean Yew outclassed by Indonesian world No.2 at Badminton Asia Championships

SINGAPORE — Anthony Sinisuka Ginting continues to be an unsolvable mystery for Loh Kean Yew, who was thoroughly outclassed by the Indonesian world No.2 at the Badminton Asia Championships men's singles final on Sunday (30 April).

Try as he did, the Singapore former world champion just could not figure out a winning plan against the wily Ginting, who gave a masterclass in controlled, unhurried play in thrashing Loh 21-12, 21-8 in just 28 minutes to win his first Asian Championships title.

Loh - who looked to be back at his best in defeating China's Lu Guangzu in the quarter-finals - will have to console himself with the silver medal, still an unprecedented achievement for a Singaporean shuttler, but the world No.7 must have been left wondering what he has to do to earn a win against Ginting.

This was his fourth straight loss to the Indonesian, after falling to the 26-year-old thrice last year - at the World Tour Finals in Bangkok, the Hylo Open in Germany, and at the Singapore Open semi-finals.

As with the past defeats, Loh tried every tactic to subdue Ginting, but was eventually worn down by his rival's consistence and his own mounting unforced errors.

Ginting seized control in the first game with three straight points for a 10-5 lead, and then another four consecutive points for a 16-8 advantage which he would not relinquish.

In the second game, a combination of scintillating play from Ginting and wayward shots by Loh led to 11 straight points for the Indonesian, and the match was beyond doubt after that.

Loh will next take part in the team competitions for Singapore at the SEA Games and the Sudirman Cup in the coming weeks.

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