Badminton powerhouse Viktor Axelsen emerged as the champion of the Japan Open final on Sunday, while An Se-Young of South Korea claimed the women’s trophy and secured her promotion to World No. 1.
The Danish World No. 1 faced a strong challenge from Jonatan Christie of Indonesia but managed to win 21-7, 21-18 in a 45-minute match.
After comfortably winning the first game, Axelsen encountered difficulties in the second as Christie turned the tide, transforming a 3-0 lead into an 8-13 deficit. Christie relentlessly fired a series of impressive shots at the reigning world champion.
“It’s always tough playing against Jonatan Christie. But I came out really strong. He seemed a little bit tense, especially early in the match,” said Axelsen, expressing his satisfaction with the outcome. He admitted to feeling pressure during the second game but was pleased with his comeback.
Axelsen emphasized his focus on the upcoming World Championships in Denmark next month.
In women’s singles, An, the world number two, defeated He Bing Jiao of China with a score of 21-15, 21-11.
With this victory, An Se-Young is set to become the new world number one, replacing Japan’s reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi, who was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
“I was so happy that when I won, I didn’t know what to say and how to describe it in words,” An said in a post-victory press conference. She added, “This has been my dream. It is now just sinking in.”
When asked about her aspirations for the World Championships and the 2024 Paris Olympics, An stated that she was solely focused on her next match. She acknowledged her lack of experience in winning major tournaments and expressed her desire to continue training and improving her skills.
In the men’s doubles category, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin from Taiwan emerged as the champions, defeating the Japanese duo Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi with a score of 21-19, 21-13.
South Korean women’s doubles team Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong claimed the title in their category, winning against China’s Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan with a score of 21-17, 21-14.
In mixed doubles, the Japanese pair Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino defeated Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand.
