Viktor Axelsen returns from injury to win third straight Indonesia Open badminton title

JAKARTA – Viktor Axelsen showed no signs of rustiness as he won a third straight Indonesia Open title on Sunday, silencing the Jakarta crowd to beat home favourite Anthony Ginting 21-14, 21-13.

The reigning world and Olympic champion began training only recently due to a hamstring injury he had picked up at the Sudirman Cup in May. The top-ranked men’s badminton player was forced to

skip the Malaysia Masters (May 23-28) and Singapore Open (June 6-11).

But the 29-year-old Dane has looked imperious on his return to competitive action. He did not drop a game during the Super 1000 event and needed just 47 minutes to defeat world No. 2 Ginting, who is three years younger and the bronze medallist from Tokyo 2020.

Ginting led 9-8 in the opening game but once Axelsen took a narrow 11-10 lead at the interval, the Dane wrested control of the final and never looked back.

During his on-court interview, Axelsen said: “Right now I’m just really surprised (to win after his injury layoff). Winning this for the third time is crazy. I want to thank all the Indonesian badminton fans even though, of course, you were supporting your local hero, Anthony Ginting.

“He’s been playing so well recently and I’m looking forward to many more encounters against him.”

He later added: “I played with a good balance in my game. A good balance between defence and attacking, and all in all, I’m really, really satisfied about my game today.”

This was his second title in 2023 – he won the Malaysia Open and lost the India Open – and his ninth Super 1000 title.

He said he would prioritise his health after making his comeback and would not be drawn on where he would compete next. “I just want to make sure that my body is healthy and strong, and then there are so many tournaments coming up where I hopefully can perform again,” he added.

He was certain of returning to the Indonesian capital in 2024 to try for a fourth consecutive crown, even if the surroundings are different.

The tournament will no longer be held in the historic Istora Senayan starting from 2024 and is expected to be staged in the country’s new Indoor Multifunction Stadium nearby due to the larger capacity.

Axelsen said: “Definitely sad to leave this place, but also exciting to see the new venue and I hope to see all you fans there next year.”

In the women’s singles final which was a battle of Olympic champions, China’s Chen Yufei triumphed against Spanish star Carolina Marin in a tightly contested 64-minute match to bring home the title.

World No. 4 Chen took the first game 21-18 before Marin nearly tied the match, carving out a slim 19-18 second-game lead. But her Chinese rival managed to snatch the next three points to win the title.

“I thought of changing my strategy against (2016 Olympic gold medallist) Marin and it turned out to be a bit of a success. That’s why I could get points in the second game,” said Chen, who won gold at Tokyo 2020.

“I respect Marin a lot. Even though she had two major injuries, her attack is powerful, she didn’t give up and is still training. This is something I can still learn.”

There was history in the men’s doubles, as Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Malaysia’s world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 21-17, 21-18 to clinch India’s first BWF Super 1000 doubles success. AFP, XINHUA