Axelsen breaks through, Tai repeats and Chen scores double in World Superseries Finals

Mixed doubles prize presentation. (AN photo)

DUBAI: In a long awaited triumph, Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen Sunday finally surmounted the one barrier that has stood in his way for many years — a first World Superseries title. It came on the grandest of stages, in the season-ending Dubai World Superseries Finals at the Hamdan Sports Complex that was packed by almost 9,000 spectators over the five days of competition.
And it was a repeat performance for Tai Tzu Ying who collected her second Dubai World Superseries title after winning here in 2014. Chinese teenager Chen Qingchen sealed her status as the most exciting doubles player on the circuit today, clinching the women’s and mixed doubles crowns, while Malaysia’s Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong gave a masterclass, winning the men’s doubles in convincing fashion.
Axelsen, in his second straight final, delivered what he has promised for so long, the men’s singles title with a hard-fought 21-14 6-21 21-17 result over China’s Tian Houwei.
“Winning this title means the world to me,” said Axelsen. “I’ve been in many finals now… it was a battle of nerves, especially in the third set, and I am happy I came out strongest in the end. It wasn’t beautiful, but it was enough from my side.”
It was his newfound ability to stubbornly stay the course despite setbacks that won Axelsen the title. It could have slipped away – a couple of misjudgments and some easy net kills that were blown. But as he showed over the last couple of days, the Dane refused to cave in.
The third set was neck-and-neck, until Axelsen found his second wind – three big jump smashes on the line took him to match point; the title was won when he rifled a shot at his opponent’s body. Axelsen turned to his coach and clasped his head in his hands.
“I was really nervous in that third set, but in the end, I just said, ‘You know what, just stop this and just play with everything you got. Don’t act like a cry baby and just play the shot over the net’, and that was enough in the end,” added Axelsen.
The women’s singles final was a mismatch. Sung was a far cry from her energetic self in the semifinal victory over Pusarla V Sindhu; she was a step behind and too erratic to test Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying who regained her 2014 women’s singles title with a 21-14 21-13 victory.
Tai had to do little but keep the shuttle in play, for Sung moved on leaden feet and her shots were too wayward. It was a day when she wasn’t required to be at her best – and she acknowledged as much: “I think Sung wasn’t moving well today. Maybe she wasn’t quite fit; it wasn’t difficult to deal with her. I’m surprised at how smoothly it all went. I’m thrilled to win my second title here and I thank all the fans who cheered for me. I loved the atmosphere in there.”
Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan won a rollercoaster of a match to win the women’s doubles title, edging past top seeds Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi in three games. Chen then returned for the mixed doubles with Zheng Siwei, and the pair buried the challenge of defending champion Chris Adcock-Gabrielle Adcock in just 30 minutes for 21-12 21-12 victory.
It was Chen, appropriately enough, who leapt up to fire the winner in both matches.
“I’m very excited and very happy to win two titles,” said Chen. “I was very tired in the second match but I must thank my coach for his advice. I hope we will have more success in the coming months.”
The women’s doubles final was fought on even keel until fortunes turned China’s way in the third. Matsutomo had been a challenge for her previous opponents with her roving presence at the net, but the Chinese completely took her out of the equation by sending the defensive shots high over her and keeping Takahashi on her toes. Matsutomo’s frustration showed as she fluffed a few sitters, and the Chinese had the first game in the bag.
The pattern changed in the second with Matsutomo exerting her presence once again; Jia Yifan was targeted, with the Japanese constantly flick-serving her and extracting defensive returns. Unfortunately for the Japanese, the tactic backfired in the decider when Matsutomo was faulted a couple of times; the rattled Japanese started to get shaky on serve and the momentum swung China’s way. Chen, the livewire on China’s side, set up three match points with a stunning pick-up at the front; the match was won on the next rally allowing the excitable Chinese to burst into celebration: 21-15 13-21 21-17.
England’s defending champions Chris and Gabrielle Adcock’s challenge in the mixed doubles lasted until midway in the first. Thereafter, their defenses were blown to bits by the fast-moving, hard-hitting and quick-thinking Zheng and Chen.
A day of superb badminton finished off with a masterclass from Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong, who took the men’s doubles title over Japan’s Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda.
Goh and Tan were a picture of unruffled calm, as they parried everything that Kamura and Sonoda threw their way. The Malaysians’ airtight defense gave the Japanese nothing to work with; while their own attack was judicious but deadly. The 21-14 21-19 result was achieved on the 40th minute, giving Goh and Tan the second World Superseries win of their career.