In badminton news, Loh Kean Yew from Singapore clinches the Spain Masters title, marking his first championship victory since the 2021 World Championships.

Singaporean badminton player Loh Kean Yew secured the Spain Masters title on Sunday (Mar 31), putting an end to his championship drought in the same country where he claimed his World Championship title over two years ago.

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Ranked 11th in the world, Loh defeated France’s Toma Junior Popov 21-11, 15-21, 22-20 in Madrid, marking his first title victory since the 2021 World Championships.

According to data from the Badminton World Federation (BWF), this marked Loh’s fifth encounter with Popov, with Loh emerging victorious in all five matches against his French opponent, who holds the 25th spot in the world rankings.

The Spain Masters triumph represents Loh’s third BWF World Tour title, following his victories at the Thailand Masters in 2019 and the Hylo Open in 2021.

Loh demonstrated dominance in the initial game, establishing an early lead of 11-3 over his opponent at the interval, while Popov struggled to find his footing.

However, the dynamics shifted in the subsequent set. Similar to his performance against Chinese Taipei’s Wang Tzu-wei in the semi-finals, Loh encountered difficulties in the second set as Popov seized control, surging to a 19-11 advantage. Despite Loh’s late push to narrow the gap, Popov maintained his momentum to claim the set.

With the title hanging in the balance, both players displayed resilience in the third set. Although Loh initially secured a lead at the interval, Popov swiftly narrowed the gap with three consecutive points. As Loh approached victory with just three points away, Popov staged a comeback, taking a 19-18 lead.

Nevertheless, Loh demonstrated his mental toughness and remained composed to ultimately secure the match and the title.

The 26-year-old’s previous tournament victory occurred at the World Championships in December 2021, where he embarked on an unexpected journey, defeating several higher-ranked players, including Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen.

Prior to Sunday’s victory, Loh had been unable to secure a title. He reached the finals of the Korea Open in July 2023 and the Thailand Masters in February 2024, but was defeated by Denmark’s Anders Antonsen and Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen respectively.