All England: Ng Tze Yong Springs Surprise for Axelsen
Ng Tze Yong couldn’t have hoped for a more memorable debut at the All England as the Malaysian punched above his weight to knock out defending champion Viktor Axelsen in the second round.
· DEV SUKUMAR
For Axelsen, who has been in each of the last four finals, winning two, it was his earliest loss at an HSBC BWF World Tour event since the Indonesia Masters in November 2021.
Alongside two-time champion Axelsen, five-time champion Yuta Watanabe was another big-name casualty, as he hurt his left calf in his mixed doubles match and had to be wheeled off.
While Ng was sensational, particularly in the third game, Axelsen himself appeared some way below his normal precise self, making several uncharacteristic unforced errors. Still, the world No.1 was able to shake off a 15-19 deficit in the third and earn two match points, but the Malaysian hung on to effect the biggest result of his career, 21-15 9-21 23-21.