A three-game rollercoaster nearly ended the title defense of Weng Hongyang at the China Masters this week. The defending champion needed a gutsy fightback to see off Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew and reach the quarterfinals.
Weng Hongyang Battles Past In-Form Loh Kean Yew
Weng had opened his China Masters campaign in ruthless fashion, dispatching countryman Zheng Jiaheng in straight games in the first round. Loh arrived for the rematch in red hot form of his own, having stunned China’s top seed Shi Yuqi 2-0 to book his spot in the last 16.
The pair had crossed paths just once before, at last year’s Denmark Open, where Weng edged a tight 2-1 win. This rematch followed a similar script from the very first rally. Weng took the opener 21-18 on the back of sharp decision making in the closing stages, holding his nerve every time the game hung in the balance.
Loh hit back hard in the second game. A string of unforced errors let the Singaporean level the match 21-11 and shift momentum firmly in his favor heading into the decider, with the crowd sensing a genuine upset on the cards.
Composure Under Pressure
The defending champion reset mentally and raised his attacking tempo when it mattered most. He pressed the issue at the net, forced errors of his own and closed out the finale 21-17 to seal a hard-earned win and avoid a shock early exit.
The result stretches Weng’s unbeaten head-to-head record against Loh and reinforces his reputation as one of the BWF World Tour‘s most resilient closers under pressure. Few players recover from a lopsided second game the way he did on home soil.
Weng now turns his attention to the quarterfinals, where another tough test stands between him and a second straight China Masters crown. His fightback against Loh has shown the champion still has the nerve to match his title.
