'Absolutely Crazy' feat

TOKYO • In 2017, Viktor Axelsen won his first World Championship title, cementing his status as one of badminton's brightest prospects.

The Dane has since become the best shuttler in the world, winning every major title in the sport, including the All England Open and the gold medal at last year's Olympic Games.

World No. 1 Axelsen yesterday came full circle as he secured his second world title by beating Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-5, 21-16 in the final in Tokyo.

The 28-year-old had never lost to the SEA Games champion and riding a Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour-leading 36-match unbeaten run dating back to the German Open semi-final in March, his sky-high confidence was there for all at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium to see.

Axelsen, who has suffered just one singles match defeat this season, made it 37 wins in a row as he blew past his 21-year-old opponent.

He had been in imperious form the past week in Tokyo, reaching the final without losing a single game, and Kunlavut stood no chance in an outcome that was near identical to his BWF World Tour Finals showpiece defeat in Bali last December.

On his sixth title of the season, Axelsen told Badminton Denmark's website: "It is difficult to put into words. Two world titles. It's absolutely crazy. I am extremely happy and proud, but also a little tired."

The first set was a blowout but Kunlavut made more of a contest of the second and while Axelsen closed it out, he is always striving for perfection.

"It's clear that I'm not a machine, so when it started to get a bit close, I got a bit excited. Right now, I'm just extremely happy and relieved that I get the last ball over, and he shoots it out, because I was a bit under pressure and really wanted to decide it," he added.

That desire to always improve is what sets Axelsen apart from the rest of his peers, according to Denmark national coach Kenneth Jonassen. He said: "It is an inspiration for everyone. If you really believe in yourself, you can try to live out your potential. It's about living it all the time, and the talent it takes is also something special.

"It is Viktor in his entirety. There is no stone that he does not turn to see if there is something he can develop on. That has characterised him throughout his career, and it still does."

Axelsen's next aim will be to win this week's Japan Open, which was not held for the past two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, before defending his Denmark Open title in his home town of Odense in October.

In the women's singles, Japan's Akane Yamaguchi retained her world title in front of her home crowd, beating China's Chen Yufei 21-12, 10-21, 21-14.

The top-seeded Yamaguchi, who won her first world title last year in the Spanish city of Huelva, had to dig deep to see off the challenge of the Olympic champion.

Chen, the first Chinese woman to reach the showpiece match in eight years, was bidding to become the first women's player from the badminton powerhouse to win a singles world title since 2011.

The fourth seed gave her all as Yamaguchi, who had entered the final without losing a game, dropped her first of the tournament, but the favourite stood strong to seal her second title of the year, after lifting the All England Open trophy.

In the men's doubles, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik created history to become Malaysia's first world champions.

The sixth-seeded pair secured a 21-19, 21-14 triumph over Indonesia's three-time world champions Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan, earning plaudits from Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Referencing the country's upcoming holiday on Wednesday, Mr Ismail said on Facebook: "This is a very meaningful gift for the country in conjunction with National Day 2022".

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASIA NEWS NETWORK/THE STAR