Being 'brave' pays off: Singapore's Loh Kean Yew ends two-year title drought

SINGAPORE: As the clock ticked on and his opponent gained a foothold in the men's singles final of the Spain Masters, Singapore badminton player Loh Kean Yew told himself that he needed to be brave.

Down 19-18 in the third set against France's Toma Junior Popov, Loh dug deep to wrestle back control of the match.

"If you're not brave then you'll be passive, and you'll start to be slower," he told CNA after winning the title in Madrid on Sunday (Mar 31).

The Singaporean, who is ranked 11th in the world, took the tie 21-11, 15-21, 22-20.

This was more than just a routine win – it was Loh's first title since the 2021 World Championships.

"I'm happy that I can finally get a title again," said Loh. "I'm just happy."

It has been a tough few years for the 26-year-old, dealing with the pressure of a world title win and the weight of expectations.

Since that momentous win in 2021, he has struggled in tournaments to take that final step to the top.

"Even if people don't say anything, I have my own expectations. Which athlete doesn't want to win?" he said.

"Whether it is pressure from others or myself, I obviously have that (pressure)."

Before Madrid, Loh last won a tournament at the World Championships in December 2021, when he went on a fairytale run and upset a number of higher-ranked players, including Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. 

He is the only Singaporean to win a BWF World Championships title.

The 26-year-old made it to the finals of the Korea Open in July 2023 and the Thailand Masters in February 2024, but fell to Denmark's Anders Antonsen and Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien-chen respectively.

"Some parts were about trying to cope with the pressure, some parts were about trying to work on the consistency," Loh explained.

"Some parts were