Bac Giang: At the 2021 SEA Games men’s singles individual event on Saturday, reigning World Champion – Loh Kean Yew of Singapore advanced to the final by the skin of his teeth with a 21-15, 10-21, 23-21 win over 39-year-old Nguyen Tien Minh of Vietnam in the semi-finals after one hour and 10 minutes.
SEA Games men’s singles semi-finals between Loh Kean Yew and Nguyen Tien Minh:
The 24-year-old Loh needed every bit of his experience to keep the dream of winning his first SEA Games men’s singles gold intact. Taking on a worthy competitor 15 years his senior, Loh was trailing 10-12, 16-18 in the decider, before scoring the match point when Nguyen’s drop shot found the net.
However, with the cheering of the home crowd, the former World No. 5 Nguyen looked as if he had turned back the clock by saving two match points to level the score at 20-20, 21-21, before letting Loh pull ahead with a disguised drop shot and after a too strong return from Nguyen which landed out of bound.
The No. 1 seed Loh will play No. 2 seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the final.
In mixed doubles, Malaysia already guaranteed a gold medal when Chen Tang Jie/Peck Yen Wei and Hoo Pang Ron/Cheah Yee See have set up an all-Malaysian final at the 31st SEA Games on Sunday.
Chen Tang Jie/Peck Yen Wei overcame No. 1 seeds Rinov Rivaldy/Pitha Haningtyas Mentari of Indonesia 20-22, 21-13, 21-18 while Hoo Pang Ron/Cheah Yee See saw off No. 3 Adnan Maulana/Mychelle Crhystine Bandaso also from Indonesia 18-21, 21-16, 21-17 in the semi-finals.
The last time Malaysia managed to win the SEA Games mixed doubles gold medal was at the 1999 SEA Games in Brunei where Chew Choon Eng/Chor Hooi Yee beat compatriots Rozman Razak/Norhasikin Amin 12–15, 15–6, 15–7 in the final.
