By Aimi G.
As Chinese Taipei’s Kao Cheng-jui bagged a win at the Singapore Smash 2025 after defeating nemesis Felix Lebrun, shocks and upsets defined the tournament as Singapore’s Koen Pang’s was eliminated from the tournament.
The 24th-ranked Chinese Taipei player had never beaten world No. 5 Lebrun in three previous encounters, but on 4 February, he finally turned the tide at the OCBC Arena.
In a thrilling 38-minute battle, the 20-year-old shifted the momentum on the Olympic bronze medalist, rallying twice to claim an unforgettable 3-2 (4-11, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9) victory.
“The previous three times it was very close and I thought it was going to be difficult to beat him because he’s very strong,” he told The Straits Times.
“My goal before today was to just win one game, but I won the match and it’s a dream.”
His next challenge?
A round-of-16 clash with South Korea’s world No. 13 Jang Woo-jin.
“I never gave up and I wanted to try and give everything in this game. I’m very happy that I could come back,” said Kao.
Meanwhile, defending champions Wang Manyu and Wang Chuqin continued their dominance, securing comfortable wins to progress to the next round.
Singapore’s Koen Pang, despite his singles exit, remains in contention in the doubles alongside compatriot Izaac Quek.
The world No. 7 pair will face Kao and Lin Yun-ju, hoping to build on their recent success on the international stage.
Singapore’s Clarence Chew and Josh Chua also advanced after a hard-fought victory but now face a daunting test against Chinese third seeds Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong on 5 February.
MAIN PHOTO: WTT