World Tour Finals: Axelsen Marches On
A fourth successive Super 1000-level title awaits Viktor Axelsen. Standing in his way will be the familiar figure of compatriot Anders Antonsen.
· DEV SUKUMAR
No player has stopped Axelsen since Anthony Sinisuka Ginting did that last January. Since then the Dane has enjoyed an unbeaten streak that has now lasted 29 unbeaten matches, helping him pick up one HSBC BWF World Tour Super 300 and three Super 1000 titles.
Apart from Axelsen, three other players/pairs have a chance for a clean sweep of the Asian Leg: Carolina Marin (women’s singles), Wang Chi-Lin/Lee Yang (men’s doubles), and Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai (mixed doubles).
There was an air of inevitability about today’s semifinal between Axelsen and Chou Tien Chen, for not only did Axelsen have a 11-2 record over Chou, he has appeared unbeatable the last three weeks. The Chinese Taipei player is known for his tenacity, and he did his best to hang on, but once Axelsen broke away midway through the first game, it was all but over. There was no crack in the wall that Chou could exploit; his best shots just kept coming back.