Viktor Axelsen flashes future world champion possibilities with Dubai title

Viktor Axelsen, the 22-year-old Dane ranked fourth in the world, won the BWF World Superseries Finals in Dubai on Sunday, beating Tian Houwei of China.

Viktor Axelsen of Denmark celebrates winning the men's final match against Tian Houwei at the Dubai World Superseries Finals on Sunday. Charlie Crowhurst / Getty Images / December 18, 2016
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DUBAI // Viktor Axelsen, touted as a future world champion since his junior days, showed why he is rated so high when, with his back to the ropes, he fought back to win a battle of attrition with Tian Houwei for the men’s singles title at the Dubai World Superseries Finals.

The women’s singles final was a much simpler affair with world No 1 Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei cruising to a 21-14, 21-13 win over Korean Sung Ji-hyun, in a mere 37 minutes, for her second Superseries Finals title. She had defeated the same opponent in the 2014 final, at the same Hamdan Sports Complex.

“Normally, when I play against Sung, it is always very intense,” said Tai, who now leads their head-to-head 10-9. “So I was a bit surprised how easy it was today, but apparently Sung had not fully recovered from her win over PV Sindhu in the semi-final. She was moving a lot slower then she normally does and her shots lacked their usual accuracy and power.”

In the men’s final, however, there were no such issues as Axelsen and Tian went all out to entertain their fans.

The first European to win a junior world championship, in 2010, Axelsen, 22, has been making a rapid climb up the charts in recent times and was a runner-up to Japan’s Kento Momota in the Superseries Finals here last year.

This year, he has gone a step further. Looking completely exhausted and ready for the count in the early exchanges of the deciding third game, he battled his way back, helped by a few errors from his edgy opponent, to win 21-14, 6-21, 21-17 in an hour and three minutes.

Tian, the 2009 junior world champion, was leading the third game until Axelsen, winner of the European Championship in May, equalised at 16-16. The Dane then won a mammoth 52-shot rally for 18-16 and closed it out soon after for his first Superseries title.

“Winning this title means the world to me,” said Axelsen, who will be taking home a cheque of $80,000 (Dh294,000). “It was battle of nerves, especially in the third set, and I am happy I came out strongest in the end. It wasn’t beautiful, but it was enough from my side.

“I was really nervous in that third set, but in the end, I just said, ‘You know what, just stop this ... and just play with everything you got. Don’t act like a cry baby and just play the shot over the net’, and that was enough in the end.”

In the women’s doubles final, Chinese teenagers Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan surprised Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi, the Rio Olympic champions and winners of the Female Player of the Year award here last week, 21-15, 13-21.

“We didn’t expect this,” said Jia. “We feel really thrilled, super excited right now and we still cannot believe this moment.”

“We did not have any burden going into the match,” added Chen. “We had nothing to lose and I believe that is the reason why we managed to win in the end.”

Chen came back later to win the mixed doubles title as well, alongside Zheng Siwei, defeating the English pair of Chris Adcock and Gabrielle Adcock, the defending champions, 21-12, 21-12.

“I really wanted to win here because I want to buy a car for my father from the prize money I get here,” said the vivacious Chen, who will be splitting the two winners’ cheques of $84,000 each with Jia and Zheng. “I am really tired now, but then, I am really happy to win these two titles.”

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