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The Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
From hard times to high five, Roy King-Arif starting to jive under coach Herry
PETALING JAYA: Hard times shape champions and men's doubles shuttlers Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi are beginning to show just that. After a slow start, Roy King-Arif showed that they have finally adapted well under coach Herry Iman Pierngadi's guidance. World No. 24 Roy King-Arif, who combined in 2023, ended their wait for a World Tour title in the Super 300 Macau Open after brilliantly toppling Indonesia's world No. 8 Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza 22-20, 21-18 at the Macau East Asian Games Dome on Sunday. The pair made it count in their first final since finishing runners-up to Sabar-Moh in the Spain Masters last year. The 24-year-old Roy King and Arif, 23, were pleased to finally get their reward together. 'We are satisfied with this win as we have waited so long for a title,' said Arif. They had to bide their time this year after struggling for a breakthrough in their previous tournaments. The duo's best result before this was a semi-final finish in the Orleans Masters in March while their only title previously was in the 2023 Nantes International Challenge. 'Our last final was last year in March where we faced the same opponents and lost. So, avenging that defeat is very satisfying,' said Arif. 'Before this, I found it hard to adapt to Herry's coaching and the tactics he wants us to implement. 'He has only been guiding us in about five tournaments so far. 'Now, we are starting to get used to his coaching in training as well. We hope to keep improving after this.' Herry only took over from Tan Bin Shen as the men's doubles head coach in the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in February. 'This is a very meaningful victory for me and Arif. Both of us are very happy with our performance in the final,' said Roy King. 'I just keep telling myself to trust the process and be prepared when the opportunity comes. 'I think hard moments make us who we are now, so we just need to keep taking it step by step.' Roy King hopes to continue his good form with Arif in the World Championships from Aug 25-31 where the pair will be making their debut. 'Beating a top 10 pair and winning this title has given us a confidence boost before the world meet,' said Roy King. 'Hopefully, there will be more to come from us and we want to continue our form in Paris.'
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
'Water was dripping onto my head': Arif-Roy Kong on strange road to glory
KUALA LUMPUR: Men's doubles shuttler Arif Junaidi had a bizarre experience during the Macau Open final on Sunday when a roof leak caused water to drip onto his head. Despite the constant disruptions, he and his partner Yap Roy King powered through to win their first World Tour title. A leaky roof at the Macau East Asian Games Dome disrupted the final day of the tournament, with world No. 24 Arif-Roy King having to endure interruptions in almost every rally due to constant court-mopping. Despite the chaos, Arif was relieved they managed to prevail, beating Indonesia's world No. 8 Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi 22-20, 21-18, avenging their defeat in the Spain Masters final in March 2024. "We were quite distracted by the situation. Water was literally dripping onto my head when I jumped to smash," said Arif. "I just reminded myself that the opponents were going through the same thing. So, I had to stay 100 per cent focused." Still, Arif said the win was hugely satisfying. "We've been waiting for this moment for a long time. "We lost to the same pair in our previous final (Spain Masters) last year, so it feels good to finally get our revenge." The 80-minute contest — unusually long for a straight-game encounter — told its own story, as both pairs struggled to maintain momentum. The Indonesians eventually cracked under the pressure and lost patience amid the frequent stoppages for court drying. Arif also credited men's doubles coach Herry IP for playing a key role in keeping them calm and helping them finally adapt to his philosophy. "We struggled at first with coach Herry's tactics, but after five tournaments under him, we're starting to click," said Arif. "Sabar-Reza had a 3-0 record over us, but coach Herry's guidance, including video analysis before the final, made a huge difference. His presence courtside also gave us more confidence." The roof leak didn't just affect Arif-Roy King. It also disrupted the men's singles final. National coach K. Yogendran revealed that world No. 45 Justin Hoh was wary of picking up an injury due to the slippery court and wasn't able to play his natural game. He fell tamely to Indonesian world No. 25 Alwi Farhan, 21-15, 21-5. The mixed doubles final faced fewer issues — world No. 127 Jimmy Wong-Lai Pei Jing went down to Denmark's Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje. Despite the poor venue conditions, BA of Malaysia (BAM) secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh refrained from blaming the organisers, instead praising Arif-Roy King's composure. "We're proud of how Arif-Roy King handled the situation despite the multiple stoppages due to the roof leak. It showed real maturity and focus," said Kenny.
The Star
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Roy King-Arif capture Macau Open title
PETALING JAYA: It was joy for men's doubles shuttlers Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi after they captured their first World Tour title in the Macau Open. Roy King-Arif did it in style, impressively upstaging Indonesia's world No. 8 Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza 22-20, 21-18 at the Macau East Asian Games Dome on Sunday (Aug 3). It was sweet revenge for the world No. 24 pair after losing narrowly to the Indonesians in the Spain Masters final last year. The victory was the best possible boost for Roy King-Arif before they make their debuts in the World Championships from Aug 25-31 in Paris.
Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Singapore's Loh Kean Yew stays calm to beat Chou Tien-chen to win Taipei Open crown
Loh Kean Yew beats home favourite Chou Tien-chen in the Taipei Open men's singles final on May 11 at the Taipei Arena. PHOTO: BADMINTONPHOTO SINGAPORE – In clinching the Taipei Open crown on May 11, Loh Kean Yew bagged his 10th career badminton title as he became the first Singaporean to win at this tournament. But more importantly, he looks to have rediscovered his killer instinct as he beat home favourite and world No. 7 Chou Tien-chen 21-14, 15-21, 22-20 in the men's singles final of the US$240,000 (S$312,000) event for his first title since winning the Spain Masters in March 2024, four months before he became a father. The 27-year-old told The Straits Times: 'I have been in training and on the tour a lot, and I don't get to spend a lot of time with my wife and baby. I'm really glad to win this title. It feels like my hard work and sacrifices are worth it. 'We are certainly moving in the right direction, so hopefully we will keep doing well.' Throughout the Taipei Open, world No. 11 Loh showed his mental fortitude to come back from deficits to beat Hong Kong's Chan Yin Chak (105th), Finland's Joakim Oldorff (52nd), Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul (49th) of Thailand and Taiwanese Wang Tzu-wei (26th) in the earlier rounds. He displayed more of the same in the final against 35-year-old Chou, who has done outstandingly to get back into the top 10 after bouncing back from stage zero colorectal cancer in 2023. Loh made a fine start in the first game to lead 3-0, but soon found himself trailing 8-10. Instead of folding, he fought to regain control of the game and began his comeback by winning a 52-shot rally with a body shot after making two diving backhand saves. He also won 13 out of 17 points, including all the last six points, to close out the opener. Seeking his fifth Taipei Open title, Chou came roaring back with some delicate net drops to put Loh on the backfoot and level the match with a 21-15 win. But it was the 2021 world champion who prevailed in a tight decider, wobbling as he squandered four match points from 20-16 up. But after a successful challenge following a precise drop shot, he won 22-20 to seal victory in the Super 300 tournament, the fifth tier of the Badminton World Federation World Tour circuit. Loh said: 'When I lost four match points and he caught up to 20-20, I was thinking 'Oh no, oh no, oh no, not again!' 'It was hard to stay calm, but I'm happy I managed to win in the end.' Loh has been making a steady return to form since he won just five out of 15 matches after making it to the 2024 Paris Olympics quarter-finals. In March 2025, he reached the German Open final and lost to Denmark's Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. He then made it to the All England Open quarter-finals later that month and finished joint-third at the Badminton Asia Championships in April. National singles head coach Kim Ji-hyun said: 'Kean Yew's performance this tournament was up and down like a nerve-racking roller-coaster ride. But it's much better than before, especially when he showed improvement in making the right shots at the right time, and in his net control. 'His positive attitude and the consistency with his stroke execution, which we spent so much time to hone, are the keys to his success. This is only a Super 300 win, and there is still a long way to go, but we will get there step by step.' She added that a training camp in China's Jiangxi province where Loh trained with retired Chinese player Zhao Junpeng, the 2022 world championships bronze medallist, also helped. Kim said: 'In Singapore, with a limited pool of players in the national team, it is difficult to maintain a high intensity of training for our top-tier players that includes quality matchplay which simulates actual competition conditions. 'The overseas training camps allow our players to learn different playing styles, and also to adapt and respond effectively to these styles in competition. Even though the intensity and the volume of training has been high, our players are doing great. I hope they will perform well in the tournaments ahead.' Elsewhere, Japan's Tomoka Miyazaki became the women's singles gold medallist after defeating Thailand qualifier Pitchamon Opatniputh 21-12, 20-22, 21-14 in the battle of two 18-year-old former world junior champions. There were reasons for the home crowd to cheer at the Taipei Arena when Hsieh Pei-shan and Hung En-tzu beat Japan's Mizuki Otake and Miyu Takahashi 21-14, 21-15 for the women's doubles title, before Chiu Hsiang-chieh and Wang Chi-lin beat South Korea's Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju 21-18, 21-15 in the men's doubles final. In the all-Indonesian mixed doubles final, Jafar Hidayatullah and Felisha Pasaribu beat Dejan Ferdinansyah and Siti Ramadhanti 18-21, 21-13, 21-17. Loh, along with Singapore's other top players, will next focus on the May 13-18 Thailand Open (Super 500), before the May 20-25 Malaysia Masters (Super 500), May 27-June 1 KFF Singapore Open (Super 750) and June 3-8 Indonesia Open (Super 1000). Women's singles world No. 13 Yeo Jia Min is set to return from a right calf injury to compete at the Thailand Open, with men's singles world No. 23 Jason Teh also joining the fray after sitting out the Taipei Open. The 27th-ranked mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Jin Yujia will also feature in the Thai capital. David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
12-05-2025
- Sport
- AsiaOne
Singapore's Loh Kean Yew stays calm to beat Chou Tien-chen to win Taipei Open crown, Singapore News
SINGAPORE - In clinching the Taipei Open crown on Sunday (May 11), Loh Kean Yew bagged his 10th career badminton title as he became the first Singaporean to win at this tournament. But more importantly, he looks to have rediscovered his killer instinct as he beat home favourite and world No. 7 Chou Tien-chen 21-14, 15-21, 22-20 in the men's singles final of the US$240,000 (S$312,000) event for his first title since winning the Spain Masters in March 2024, four months before he became a father. The 27-year-old told The Straits Times: "I have been in training and on the tour a lot, and I don't get to spend a lot of time with my wife and baby. I'm really glad to win this title. It feels like my hard work and sacrifices are worth it. "We are certainly moving in the right direction, so hopefully we will keep doing well." Throughout the Taipei Open, world No. 11 Loh showed his mental fortitude to come back from deficits to beat Hong Kong's Chan Yin Chak (105th), Finland's Joakim Oldorff (52nd), Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul (49th) of Thailand and Taiwanese Wang Tzu-wei (26th) in the earlier rounds. He displayed more of the same in the final against 35-year-old Chou, who has done outstandingly to get back into the top 10 after bouncing back from stage zero colorectal cancer in 2023. Loh made a fine start in the first game to lead 3-0, but soon found himself trailing 8-10. Instead of folding, he fought to regain control of the game and began his comeback by winning a 52-shot rally with a body shot after making two diving backhand saves. He also won 13 out of 17 points, including all the last six points, to close out the opener. Seeking his fifth Taipei Open title, Chou came roaring back with some delicate net drops to put Loh on the backfoot and level the match with a 21-15 win. But it was the 2021 world champion who prevailed in a tight decider, wobbling as he squandered four match points from 20-16 up. But after a successful challenge following a precise drop shot, he won 22-20 to seal victory in the Super 300 tournament, the fifth tier of the Badminton World Federation World Tour circuit. Loh said: "When I lost four match points and he caught up to 20-20, I was thinking 'Oh no, oh no, oh no, not again!' "It was hard to stay calm, but I'm happy I managed to win in the end." Loh has been making a steady return to form since he won just five out of 15 matches after making it to the 2024 Paris Olympics quarter-finals. In March 2025, he reached the German Open final and lost to Denmark's Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. He then made it to the All England Open quarter-finals later that month and finished joint-third at the Badminton Asia Championships in April. National singles head coach Kim Ji-hyun said: "Kean Yew's performance this tournament was up and down like a nerve-racking roller-coaster ride. But it's much better than before, especially when he showed improvement in making the right shots at the right time, and in his net control. "His positive attitude and the consistency with his stroke execution, which we spent so much time to hone, are the keys to his success. This is only a Super 300 win, and there is still a long way to go, but we will get there step by step." She added that a training camp in China's Jiangxi province where Loh trained with retired Chinese player Zhao Junpeng, the 2022 world championships bronze medallist, also helped. Kim said: "In Singapore, with a limited pool of players in the national team, it is difficult to maintain a high intensity of training for our top-tier players that includes quality matchplay which simulates actual competition conditions. "The overseas training camps allow our players to learn different playing styles, and also to adapt and respond effectively to these styles in competition. Even though the intensity and the volume of training has been high, our players are doing great. I hope they will perform well in the tournaments ahead." Elsewhere, Japan's Tomoka Miyazaki became the women's singles gold medallist after defeating Thailand qualifier Pitchamon Opatniputh 21-12, 20-22, 21-14 in the battle of two 18-year-old former world junior champions. There were reasons for the home crowd to cheer at the Taipei Arena when Hsieh Pei-shan and Hung En-tzu beat Japan's Mizuki Otake and Miyu Takahashi 21-14, 21-15 for the women's doubles title, before Chiu Hsiang-chieh and Wang Chi-lin beat South Korea's Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju 21-18, 21-15 in the men's doubles final. In the all-Indonesian mixed doubles final, Jafar Hidayatullah and Felisha Pasaribu beat Dejan Ferdinansyah and Siti Ramadhanti 18-21, 21-13, 21-17. Loh, along with Singapore's other top players, will next focus on the May 13-18 Thailand Open (Super 500), before the May 20-25 Malaysia Masters (Super 500), May 27-June 1 KFF Singapore Open (Super 750) and June 3-8 Indonesia Open (Super 1000). Women's singles world No. 13 Yeo Jia Min is set to return from a right calf injury to compete at the Thailand Open, with men's singles world No. 23 Jason Teh also joining the fray after sitting out the Taipei Open. The 27th-ranked mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Jin Yujia will also feature in the Thai capital. This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
