Hong Kong, September 15, 2024 – The Europe Today: Denmark’s two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen battled through a tense semifinal at the Hong Kong Open badminton championships, defeating Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting after wasting six match points. Axelsen, seeded second, won the first set convincingly 21-9 and led 20-13 in the second, only for Ginting to mount a dramatic comeback.
Ginting clawed back to 20-19, prompting Axelsen to call for an injury timeout, showing discomfort on the left side of his back. After receiving quick treatment, Axelsen returned to seal the match 21-19, securing his place in the final.
“I’m very happy with 90 percent of the match,” Axelsen said. “But not the last 10 percent. I made too many bad decisions in the second set when he had improved a lot. But I am very happy to be in the final.”
Axelsen, competing in his first tournament since defending his Olympic title in Paris, will face China’s Lei Lanxi in the final. Lei, ranked 33rd, stunned defending champion and third seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in a hard-fought match, winning 21-14, 12-21, 21-17.
In the women’s draw, third seed Han Yue of China advanced to the final after defeating Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong 22-20, 21-10. She will face Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani, who overcame Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki in a thrilling three-set encounter, winning 22-20, 21-23, 21-18.
Han, who previously defeated Wardani at the Malaysia Open, expressed confidence ahead of the final, saying, “We are familiar with each other. I will try my best to beat her.”
China secured the mixed doubles title, with top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping defeating Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei 21-14, 23-21. Second seeds Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin cruised past last year’s runners-up, Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet, with a dominant 21-12, 21-6 victory.
