BWF Kumamoto Masters Japan 2023: Momota Kento edges Loh Kean Yew in 85-minute marathon, Lee Zii Jia out
Japan's former world No. 1 claws back from a game down and saves four match points to defeat Loh 18-21, 26-24, 21-19 in the opening round of the BWF Super 500 event.
Badminton
Momota Kento came back from the dead to knock out Loh Kean Yew in an 85-minute, first-round thriller at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2023 on Wednesday (15 November).
The showdown at the opening hurdle between two of badminton’s biggest stars did not disappoint as Momota outlasted Loh over the three games 18-21, 26-24, 21-19.
Momota had to win twice a day earlier to qualify for the main draw. Last week at the Korean Masters, he captured his first title on the BWF tour in two years.
While it might be premature to say the 29-year-old former world No. 1 is all the way back, he is certainly on a nice little roll he hasn’t been on in a long time.
After narrowly dropping the first game, Momota was on the ropes in the second - but fended off four match points from his Singaporean opponent to force a third set.
Momota looked like he would cruise to victory, taking a 16-9 lead. But it was Loh’s turn to dig deep as the world No. 9 won 10 of the next 13 points to level the score at 19.
Yet with the crowd behind him, Momota went on to win the next two points for the match. He faces Rasmus Gemke in the next round.
In other men’s singles action, No. 1 seed Victor Axelsen made quick work of Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo 21-11, 21-7 as did Jonatan Christie, who dismissed Chi Yu Jen 21-14, 21-9.
However, Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia crashed out despite a battling performance against Denmark's Anders Antonsen. The world number 11 Lee fell behind big early, with Antonsen racing out to an 11-3 lead in the opening game.
But Lee closed the gap valiantly, even taking the lead at 18-17, before Antonsen eventually took the first game 21-18.
The Malaysian also led by three points in the second game on three separate occasions, including at 20-17 up, but let his three game points slip as world number 10 Antonsen, himself making a comeback from a drop down the rankings just as Lee is, won the last five points on the trot to register a 21-18, 22-20 win in 54 minutes.
Second seed Anthony Ginting of Indonesia was also a shock loser, being deposed by Peoples Republic of China's Weng Hongyang 21-16, 18-21, 21-17.
In the women’s singles, top seed An Se-young was made to work by Pai Yu Po in the first game before sealing a 22-20, 21-13 victory.
Chen Yufei coasted past Huang Yu-Hsun 21-8, 21-13 while No. 5 Carolina Marin defeated Sung Shuo Yun 21-13, 21-10.