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Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
China's Chen Yufei, Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn claim singles titles at KFF S'pore Badminton Open
China's Chen Yufei claimed her fourth individual title of 2025 with a victory at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open on June 1. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO SINGAPORE – After a disappointing Olympic campaign in August 2024 where she suffered a shock quarter-final exit, China's Chen Yufei found herself re-evaluating her career. Unsure about her future in the sport, she took a hiatus, during which she completed a 10-week English course in Melbourne. However, time away only solidified her passion for badminton and she returned to competition in February 2025, contributing to China's win at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships. The 27-year-old has quickly regained her form and showed her class on the court, claiming four individual titles in a row. Her latest came on June 1 at the KFF Singapore Open as she defeated compatriot Wang Zhiyi 21-11, 21-11 to capture her first win at the US$1 million (S$1.29 million) event. On how her game has benefited from last year's break, the 2024 runner-up said: 'It mainly helped me relax more and deal with pressure better. 'It was like starting over, especially with my ranking continuously dropping, everything signalled a fresh beginning.' It was that mindset that helped Chen, who has risen from world No. 11 to five since her return, extend her unbeaten streak to 20 matches, a run dating back to the Swiss Open in March. En route to the final in Singapore, she recorded victories over higher-ranked opponents, including a 21-13, 21-16 win over reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1 An Se-young in the quarter-finals. In the final, Chen pulled ahead 11-7 at the interval. As Wang struggled with the draught, Chen was quick to retrieve her opponent's shots, taking the first game 21-11. She led throughout the second game, and at 16-11, she reeled off five points in a row to bag victory and the winner's cheque of US$70,000. 'The draw for this tournament wasn't particularly favourable for me, so to be able to fight through one match at a time to the end was beyond what I expected,' said the reigning Asian champion, who also had to face India's former world champion and two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu in the round of 16. 'That mindset of not putting too much pressure on myself helped. I felt more relaxed as compared to before, and that allowed me to bring out more of my own game on the court.' The former world No. 1 remains as ambitious as she hopes to add Asian Games and world titles to her impressive resume. Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn will become the new world No. 1 when the world rankings are updated on June 3. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO The crowd of over 7,700 spectators was also treated to a dominant display by Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the men's singles final as the reigning world champion claimed his fourth title of the season after beating China's Lu Guangzu 21-6, 21-10. World No. 15 Lu was no match for the Paris Olympics silver medallist, who was in imperious form and did not drop a single game throughout the tournament. Against a hapless Lu, whose decision-making was shaky at times, Kunlavut surged to a commanding 13-2 lead and cruised to victory in the first game. He remained in control in the second game, building a 14-4 advantage in no time. At 20-9, Lu saved a match point, but merely delayed Kunlavut's victory by a while as the Thai won the final in 37 minutes. His run in Singapore will see him leapfrog China's world No. 1 Shi Yuqi in the world rankings when they are updated on June 3, making him the first Thai men's singles player to reach the top spot. Kunlavut Vitidsarn claimed the men's singles title after beating China's Lu Guangzu 21-6, 21-10. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO He said: 'I feel really happy because I've been doing really well this year and there's room for me to grow in the following tournament. 'There are a lot of fans here in Singapore who are rooting for me – not just fans in Singapore but all over the world. I would like to see the badminton industry grow bigger and bigger.' The 24-year-old knows that the top spot will come with pressure, but is embracing it as he aims to reclaim his world title. He said: 'It's a good thing I'm world No. 1. Of course there's always pressure and I already said in the beginning that I would like to try to win all the tournaments and that's what I'm focused on at the moment.' South Korean world No. 8 women's doubles pair Kim Hye-jeong and Kong Hee-yong won their first Singapore Open title after overcoming Japan's world No. 6 Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-16, 21-14. In the mixed doubles, Thailand's eighth-ranked Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran overcame Hong Kong's world No. 3 Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet 21-16, 21-9. New winners were also crowned in the men's doubles, with Malaysia's world No. 3 pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik coming from behind to beat South Korea's 10th-ranked duo Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae 15-21, 21-18, 21-19. Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
'Train the brain': Ex-NSI expert urges shuttlers to prioritise mental training
KUALA LUMPUR: National shuttlers must undergo consistent psychological training alongside physical preparation if they are to reach peak performance, says former National Sports Institute (NSI) sports psychologist Philip Lew. Philip, now working with eSports outfit Selangor Red Giants, was seconded to the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) from May 2003 to October 2023, where he worked closely with players under the Road to Gold (RTG) programme. He stressed that mental strength must be developed through regular, structured sessions — not quick-fix solutions. "The brain is like a muscle. You have to train it consistently to strengthen it," said the 35-year-old. "You can't just run a short camp before a tournament and expect players to be mentally ready. It doesn't work like that." Malaysia suffered a disappointing outing at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships in Qingdao, China, in February, failing to progress beyond the group stage. Following the tournament, BA of Malaysia (BAM) acting president Datuk V. Subramaniam ordered a performance review. Based on coaches' feedback, BAM requested a full-time NSI psychologist to be stationed at ABM. Philip welcomed the move and said it could mark a turning point for the national squad. "I understand BAM has secured a full-time psychologist from NSI. It'll take time for players to build trust, but it's definitely a step in the right direction," he told Timesport. "Having someone based at ABM means the players have immediate access to support without needing to travel to Bukit Jalil." He urged players to fully utilise the psychological services but cautioned against expecting instant results. "It's not a magic pill. Many elements affect performance — mental strength is just one part of a bigger picture." Philip also weighed in on criticism over the decision to field Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik against Japan's Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi in the final Group C clash at the recent Sudirman Cup. Malaysia lost the match, allowing Japan to top the group and forcing Malaysia into a tougher quarter-final tie. Malaysia lost 3-0 to eventual champions China in the last eight in Xiamen. "There's always pressure on coaches and players to make the right call," he said. "Aaron-Wooi Yik have a poor record against that Japanese pair. But if Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani had played and lost, people would ask why the reigning Asian champions weren't picked." He also highlighted the pair's resilience at the Paris Olympics, where they staged a dramatic comeback to win the men's doubles bronze. "After that match, everyone praised their mental toughness. But now, after one defeat, they're being labelled mentally weak. It's never that simple — mental preparation is just one component of overall performance."
