Indonesia Open 2021: Badminton legend Viktor Axelsen beat Loh Kean Yew for single’s title
Olympic gold medallist Viktor Axelsen won the prestigious Indonesian Open men’s singles title after beating Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in Sunday’s final.
The intense 59-minute game saw the Dane beat Loh 21-13, 9-21, 21-13 in Bali after a valiant battle between the pair
Axelsen’s victory came after his compatriot Anders Antonsen was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to an injury in his right chest.
24-year-old Loh has had a stellar tournament run, beating world number one Kento Momota in the round of 16, as well as Rasmus Gemke in the semi-final – but Axelsen’s experience proved to be the difference.
Loh also made history as the first Singaporean badminton player to have reached a Super 1000 final since the Badminton World Federation World Tour began in 2018.
In the women’s singles final, world number six An Se-young of South Korea won her second title in as many weeks, defeating Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon 21-17, 22-20 in 46 minutes.
Japan caused a big upset in the women’s doubles finals as Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida beat home favourites and Olympic gold medallists Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu 21-19, 21-19 in a tight match which featured a 192-stroke rally.
However, Indonesia took revenge on Japan in the men’s doubles as world number one pair Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo beat Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi 21-14, 21-18 to win their third consecutive Indonesia open title.
The mixed doubles final saw Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai comfortably defeat Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino 21-13, 21-13.
