KUALA LUMPUR: Mixed doubles shuttler Loo Bing Kun may have finally found "stability" after clinching the Swedish Open title with Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan on Sunday.
The world No. 371 defeated Canada's world No. 77 combination of Timothy Lock-Chloe Hoang 21-16, 21-16 in 22 minutes to win the International Series event at the IFU Arena in Uppsala.
The victory was a timely breakthrough for the 25-year-old Bing Kun, who endured an unsettled period last year, marked by multiple partnership changes without success.
He played with four different partners, including Noraqilah, but struggled to find consistency on the international circuit.
Bing Kun began 2025 alongside Ho Lo Ee, but the partnership was cut short after the latter suffered an injury.
He then teamed up with Toh Ee Wei, who had briefly split with Chen Tang Jie earlier last year, but the pairing lasted only two tournaments — reaching the Taiwan Open quarter-finals and Malaysia Masters second round.
A subsequent partnership with Go Pei Kee also failed to gain traction, with four consecutive defeats in the first or second rounds, leading to another split.
Then came Noraqilah, after being fast-tracked into the senior ranks following her bronze and silver medal haul in the mixed doubles and girls' doubles at the 2025 World Junior Championships.
Despite doubts over the pair's longevity after a second-round defeat at the Korea Masters, mixed doubles head coach Nova Widianto opted to keep faith in Bing Kun-Noraqilah, a decision that has now borne fruit with their maiden title together in Sweden.
