All England: Axelsen Lives His Dream
Just over two decades since a Dane last lifted the coveted men’s singles trophy at the YONEX All England, Viktor Axelsen earned that honour for himself, turning in an impeccable performance in the final today.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The second seed ticked every box as he overwhelmed top seed Chou Tien Chen 21-13 21-14 in 46 minutes. Axelsen thus became the first Dane since Peter Gade in 1999 to win the men’s singles title.
There was never any phase in the match when Axelsen did not look in control. The Dane’s attack from the back is usually potent, and Chou needed to get his length on the clears just right. The top seed however struggled with the drift and became vulnerable to Axelsen’s heavy artillery.
With Axelsen peppering Chou with smash winners, the top seed could do little to stanch the flow of points.