For many elite athletes across sports, a lot has changed since them peaking at the Paris Olympics. Not that much for Viktor Axelsen or An Se Young. Gold medallists at the French capital five months ago, they continue to stamp their authority in the game, clinching the top prize at the $950,000 India Open badminton tournament on Sunday.
While Danish third seed Axelsen showed his absolute dominance, thrashing Hong KongтАЩs Lee Cheuk Yiu 21-16, 21-8 to clinch his third menтАЩs singles crown at the Super 750 event, Korean world No.1 An was sublime in dispatching Thai Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-12, 21-9 in the womenтАЩs singles final at a packed KD Jadhav Indoor Hall here.
Axelsen against Lee was expected to be a close affair with the latter having beaten the two-time Olympic champion last week in the first round of the Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur. In addition, the Dane had struggled to close out his quarter-final and semi-final matches. But the final turned out to be lopsided.
Playing his sixth India Open final in 10 years, Axelsen, 31, didnтАЩt start well. He was trailing 2-6 before he started to find the range of his smashes. Lee, who had reached the final last year too, tried to keep attacking the backhand of the Dane but began making errors once the eventual champion started retrieving all his attacking strokes.
Once Axelsen pocketed the opening game, he ran away with the second, attacking the net as well as dominating the back court to the delight of the crowd which had turned out in huge numbers despite no Indian player in action on the final day.
тАЬTo be honest, it didnтАЩt feel like it was smooth sailing at all. I was struggling, especially at the start with LeeтАЩs game. But my legs started coming. I started moving better and my defence started to be better and also my offence. From there I felt more and more confident,тАЭ said the two-time world and Olympic champion.
тАЬIn the second game I started to feel like my attack was sitting pretty good and I felt more comfortable. A few easy mistakes from Lee and I just felt confident. He maybe started to feel there was a long way to go.тАЭ
Between his triumphs in Paris and New Delhi, Axelsen had played six tournaments and surprisingly exited thrice in the early rounds, not something the world No.5 is used to.
тАЬThis title feels very special. IтАЩve struggled a little bit post-Olympics with injuries, training and my motivation has been lacking a little bit. But this week I felt like a competitor out there. I dug deep in every single match and found a solution,тАЭ said the two-time All England champion.
тАЬThis win gives me a lot of motivation which IтАЩve lacked a little bit since the Olympics. Now I feel like I have some work to do. I won a title here but titles are not all for me. I want to keep getting better and finding solutions under different circumstances and IтАЩve definitely managed to do so this week. So, IтАЩm very proud and happy.тАЭ
Earlier, An went about her business dominating the final, exactly like how sheтАЩs been the player to beat in the womenтАЩs singles circuit. Since Paris, the world No.1 has played five tournaments, reaching the final four times and winning thrice.
The womenтАЩs final too was a one-sided affair with the reigning world and Olympic champion extending her dominance over Chochuwong, winning her 10th match against the Thai in as many meetings.
The top seed took control of the match in the initial few exchanges, racing away to a 11-4 lead, and then held 11 game points. The Thai saved three but the gap was too big to close.
In the second game, An took a 7-1 lead, controlling the proceedings perfectly to continue her all-win record of 2025 by adding her second India Open title to the Malaysia Open crown she bagged last week. The 22-year-old hasnтАЩt dropped a game in her 10 matches this year.
