Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-5, 21-16 to win his second badminton world title in the final in Tokyo. The World No. 1, who claimed his first world title in Glasgow in 2017, is now unbeaten in 37 straight games and he claimed six titles this year, including the last three Super 1000 titles. Follow us to claim an online jackpot from one of the best online gambling sites today!
“I can tell you that I am from this world, coming from this planet,” Axelsen responded after being told that he was not from this planet. “But I see it as people believing in me, and they think that I’m a good player and it gives me a lot of motivation. But to be honest, my full focus is on my own game, my own development, and I just try to do my best every single day,” he added.
The 28-year-old Dane, who is also the reigning Olympic champion, returned to Tokyo and reached the final without losing a single game. He was just too much for the World No. 17 Vitidsarn, who played his first world championship final after knocking out Singapore’s defending champion Loh Kean Yew in the quarter-finals. Vitidsarn had a chance in the second before Axelsen won the next nine points.
“It’s so difficult to play with him but I want to learn so it’s OK (losing),” Vitidsarn said. Axelsen later announced that he had withdrawn from the Japan Open, which is to kick off in Osaka on Tuesday, citing health reasons. He was due to face South Korea’s Heo Kwanghee in the first round. “Disappointed to tell you all that I, unfortunately, won’t be able to compete this week in Osaka,” he said.
Meanwhile, Akane Yamaguchi beat China’s Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Chen Yufei 21-12, 10-21, 21-14 to become the first Japanese to win back-to-back women’s singles badminton world championships. “It’s special to be winning this title in Japan,” Yamaguchi said. “At the end of the match I got emotional because the crowd was so supportive and it was a special moment.”
In Sunday’s final, 25-year-old Chen cruised in the first game after taking a 6–5 lead. She then took the second by seizing control from her opponent after giving up an early 5–4 advantage; that forced a third game, where Yamaguchi showed dominance with bold playing to win the game. “I’ve won many tournaments but I don’t think I have been so emotional,”she added.
Elsewhere, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik created history after winning Malaysia’s first BWF World Championship as they beat Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan 21-19, 21-14 in the men’s doubles final. Chinese top seeds Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan won the women’s doubles tournament, while Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong secured mixed doubles glory.
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