New Delhi: It was third time charm for Viktor Axelsen Denmark at the India Open, when the Dane comfortably defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien Chen in straight games to win his maiden India Open Super Series title in his third attempt on Sunday.
As expected, Axelsen played clean, aggressive badminton to start the opening set. The Dane unleashed countless of powerful smashes and deft lifts that wrong-footed Chou. With a beautifully executed net shot, Axelsen surged to a formidable lead of 19-12. Axelsen went on pocketed the first game 21-13 after Chou hit the shuttlecock wide.
The second set was pretty much the repeat of the first set, where Chou was under constant pressure from Axelsen’s leaping smashes, forcing the Taiwanese to commit a lot of unforced errors. Axelsen eventually emerge victorious with 21-10 and lifted his first India Open title.
In the mixed-doubles final, the defending champions China’s No. 2 seeds Lu Kai/Huang Yaqiong beat compatriots No. 1 seeds Zheng Siwei/Chen Qingchen 22-24, 21-14, 21-17 to win 2nd consecutive India Open Super Series mixed doubles title.
Earlier, in a repeat of the India Open 2015 final and in an all-Indonesian final, Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo beat Ricky Karanda Suwardi/ Angga Pratama 21-11, 21-15 to win men’s doubles title.
