CATEGORY | MEN’S SINGLES
VIKTOR AXELSEN HAS STOLEN THE SHOW FROM KIDAMBI SRIKANTH Kidambi Srikanth from India has enjoyed a remarkable season. He has made his mark and placed himself among the top players, but Danish Viktor Axelsen has looked incredibly strong, winning the World Championships and Japan Open. BY S T I N E G R E V E
Over the past few seasons, we have become accustomed to seeing a small handful of players dominate the men’s singles rankings and taking home the throphies in the Superseries and Superseries Premier tournaments. Double Olympic gold medal winner Lin Dan, the defending Olympic champion Chen Long, and the three-time double Olympic silver medalist Lee Chong Wei have dominated over the past few years. But they have had to make room for others, as the titles have been won by many different players. “The big three” have failed to keep ahead of the young challengers this year, and have not managed to bring home as many titles as they might have hoped. One of the challengers who has really made an impression is Kidambi Srikanth from India, who especially drew attention to himself in the first half of 2017. Viktor Axelsen from Denmark has also taken his share of the limelight as he really took over in the second half of the year. Lee Chong Wei started out strongly by winning the prestigious Superseries Premier tournament All England back in March, but could not manage to follow up on this result at the following Superseries tournament, India Open. Here, it was Viktor Axelsen, who scooped up the main title after beating Chou Tien Chen from Taiwan in the final. On home ground at Malaysia Open, Lee Chong Wei was back on track right up until the final, when he was faced with his nemesis, Lin Dan from China. Lin Dan won his first title in 2017, when he sent the home favourite packing. After this, knock sounds began resonating in the badmintonworld. It was the sound of the Indian men’s singles players, Kidambi Srikath and Sai Praneet, knocking on the door to the funny side where the trophies are hidden. Rather than wait for the door to be opened for them they kicked it down themselves,
as they both played there way into the final of the Superseries tournament, Singapore Open. On this occasion Praneet appeared to be the strongest of the two as he claimed the title, but, to his credit, Srikanth managed to keep his good form by reaching the final in the two subsequent tournaments – two finals, which he won. In so doing, he beat Kazumasa Sakai from Japan in the final of the Superseries Premier tournament Indonesia Open, before securing his second title at Australian Open with a victory in the final against the Olympic champion Chen Long. After the summer and the world championships, Srikanth should attemt to keep the momentum that had been build up before the break from the Superseries tournaments. First off was the Korea Open, where neither Srikanth nor Axelsen competed. The two Indonesian players Anthony Ginting and Jonatan Christie took advantage of the favourites’ absence and made their way into the final where Ginting claimed the victory and the title. In the following week the players went at it at Japan Open and this time both Axelsen and Srikanth were in the draw. In fact, they crossed racquets in the quarterfinal where the recently crowned world champion Viktor Axelsen was superior. Axelsen made it all the way and clinched his second Superseries title this year after beating Lee Chong Wei in the final. This makes Viktor Axelsen and Kidambi Srikanth the most winning men’s singles players in 2017. Not only was the win in Japan Open Axelsen second title this year, it also ensured him the spot as the world number one in men’s singles - a spot he is trying to defend here at the DANISA DENMARK OPEN presented by VICTOR where he arrives with a fresh Superseries title and a World Championships title on his résumé.