Paris Olympics: Loh Kean Yew beats China's Li Shifeng, qualifies for quarter-finals
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PARIS – Loh Kean Yew loves a good chase and his hunt for a historic Olympic badminton medal for Singapore remains alive, after he beat China’s sixth-ranked Li Shifeng 23-21, 21-15 at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena on Aug 1. The victory sets up a tantalisParis Olympics: Loh Kean Yew beats China's Li Shifeng, qualifies for quarter-finals
PARIS – Loh Kean Yew loves a good chase and his hunt for a historic Olympic badminton medal for Singapore remains alive, after he beat China’s sixth-ranked Li Shifeng 23-21, 21-15 at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena on Aug 1. The victory sets up a tantalising quarter-final clash on Aug 2 against his good friend, defending champion and world No. 2 Viktor Axelsen, who received a last-16 bye. The Dane leads 8-2 in their head-to-head, but the underdog tag suits world No. 12 Loh just fine. He laughed as he told The Straits Times: “Yup, I enjoy the chase because the pressure is on him, not me. He has an extra day’s rest and he wants to defend his title. I’m just going to enjoy and give my best.” He had the same mentality against Li. The 27-year-old had lost his previous two encounters against Li, 24, but was able to produce the goods to extend his head-to-head advantage to 5-2 when he needed it most. While Axelsen was watching the match from the comforts of his room after celebrating his wife’s birthday, Loh was slogging. Read more