PETALING JAYA: Danish star Viktor Axelsen might not be dominating the men’s singles like he used to do but proved that he was still sharp by capturing the Indian Open title.
Axelsen, who was No. 1 in the world rankings last year, slipped down to No. 5 recently and has been struggling with injury issues but rose to the occasion to beat Hong Kong’s world No. 20 Lee Cheuk Yiu 21-16, 21-8 in the final at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi on Sunday.
Remarkably, it was the 31-year-old’s third title in his sixth final at the tournament. He won in 2017 and 2019 and finished runners-up in 2015, 2016 and 2023.
En route to the title this time, Axelsen was taken to three games by the likes of Chi Yu-jen of Taiwan, Singapore’s 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew and Indonesia’s world No. 3 Jonatan Christie but always found a way to come out on top.
It was the two-time Olympic champion’s first title since he won the Hong Kong Open last September.
Axelsen, who said that he had been struggling to stay motivated since claiming his second Olympic gold in Paris last August due to his injuries, was thrilled to get his mojo back.
“I didn’t enjoy it (the final) until I won the last point. I felt I had to focus on every single point and even though I was leading big, in my mind I was still trailing behind,” Axelsen told the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“This week has been very inconsistent from a mental perspective for me, and also game-wise. So to play a game like this with my current state is very very positive.
“I slept very bad, maybe four to five hours. I had a good (physio) treatment, we laughed a lot at breakfast and had a good time relaxing. Just tried my best to get my body ready.
“To be honest, to win this title is very special for me because it has been a different feeling on court, different preparation, and I’m starting to feel my motivation is back.
“I’ve been a competitor this week. Since the Olympics I’ve had a little bit of issues with injuries, and that has been affecting my motivation a bit, so to be here and win the title means a lot,” added Axelsen.
Meanwhile, Cheuk Yiu had settle for runners-up again after coming second best to China’s world No. 1 Shi Yuqi in last year’s edition.