BWF Indonesia Masters 2024: Loh Kean Yew upsets HS Prannoy, Lee Zii Jia through, Jonatan Christie out
The Singaporean 2021 world champion wins for only the second time in six meetings against India's Prannoy to reach the last 16 in Jakarta. Lee Zii Jia is also through to the second round. Fourth seed Christie suffered defeat on home soil.
Badminton
Loh Kean Yew prevailed in a three-game thriller on Wednesday (24 January) to secure his progress to the last 16 of the 2024 BWF Indonesia Masters in Jakarta.
The Singaporean had missed last week's India Open through illness, but showed no signs of ill-effects at the Istora arena in the Indonesian capital against seventh seed H.S. Prannoy of India.
Loh, the 2021 badminton world champion, looked to be in control in the opening game with a 6-point lead before seeing Prannoy close the gap before Loh took it 21-18. The second game was even closer, with both men matching each other throughout the game before Prannoy took the last two points 21-19 to level the match.
The decider was somewhat more one-sided, with Loh – who had only won one of his five previous career matches against Prannoy – pulled away from 4-6 down to win 17 of the last 21 points, eventually sealing the third game in comfortable fashion to take the match 21-18, 19-21, 21-10.
Su Li-Yang or Lee Cheuk Yiu awaits Loh next.
Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia is also through to the last 16 after a battling performance against India's Kidambi Srikanth.
Lee narrowly dropped the opening game to Kidambi but put up a strong showing in the second game, even rolling off nine straight points before levelling the match.
The decider was a close affair at first with the two men level at 6-6 but from there Lee dropped only five more points, romping away to a 19-21, 21-14, 21-11 victory. His next opponent will be Hong Kong China's Ng Ka Long Angus.
Earlier, home hope Jonatan Christie suffered a heartbreaking 78-minute defeat at the hands of Lu Guangzu.
Christie, seeded fourth, was forced to three games despite winning the opener against his opponent from the People's Republic of China.
Lu eventually triumphed by nearly the narrowest margin possible, 19-21, 21-19, 21-19.
However, his teammate and third seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting is through to the last 16 after sealing a straight-games win over Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen 21-13, 21-15.