New Delhi: The Danish badminton player Viktor Axelsen beat Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew 21-13, 9-21, 21-13 and bagged the Men’s Singles Title of the Indonesia Open 2021 finals, at the Bali International Convention Centre, Bali, on Sunday.
The intense 59-minute match saw the 27-year-old cruise through the opening set with powerful aces and swift court coverage, while 24-year-old Loh failed to find momentum and committed unforced errors, leading to a 21-13 score.
The next set had Viktor in the lead before the charged Loh took over and smashed consecutive points without sparing his opponent a chance to score. The set closed in favour of Loh at 9-21.
The final set was a cut-throat match as shuttlers smashed their way to victory. Soon, Viktor took a lead of 11-6, and though Loh tried closing the gap, Viktor’s backhand smashes and serves paved the way for his win with 21-13 points.
The Olympic gold medallist’s victory comes after fellow player Anders Antonsen withdrew, citing a right chest injury. He defeated Indian shuttler Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth in the semis to reach the Indonesian Open finals.
Meanwhile, Loh Kean Yew created history by becoming the first Singaporean player to enter the Open finals.
(Avya Mathur)
