Axelsen ousts Olympic champ Chen Long
Sweden’s Viktor Axelsen gained revenge over China’s defending champion Chen Long in the World Championships semi-finals in Glasgow on Saturday.
In a surprisingly short match, the Danish number three seed beat the Olympic champion 21-9, 21-10 in just 39 minutes and will now face either five-time champion Lin Dan or top seed Son Wan-Ho in the final.
“I am a little out of words,” said Axelsen. “I never expected to win so comfortably and I am so very happy. I made very few mistakes today.
“It was nice to get revenge from the Olympic semi-finals. I am very proud of myself.
“Denmark is a small country, but I am very proud that we can compete . It’s a dream come true. Ever since I was a little boy, I dreamed of making a World Championships final.”
Chen, who was the number five seed, said: “I will get some rest and get back for the National Chinese Championships. Viktor played very well.
“Yesterday, I was the last men’s singles (match) on court and today I was the first. I need to get better at playing at a consistent level whenever I play.” Lin Dan stayed on course for a record-breaking sixth men’s singles title at the World Championships in Glasgow on Friday with a straight games quarter-final win over Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent in Glasgow.
Lin, 33, hasn’t won the title since 2013, but the Chinese veteran is guaranteed at least a bronze medal after the 21-17, 21-18 victory.
After two three game matches, Lin was delighted to get on and off court within the hour.
“I really enjoyed today’s match,” he said. “I am very happy that I managed to minimise my opponent’s performance. It was good to get it done quicker today and I expect to perform fully to my 100 percent tomorrow.”
In the semi-finals, he clashes with the new world No.1 from South Korea, Son Wan Ho. Lin’s first world medal was a silver in 2005 -- he then won the title in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.
For Son Wan Ho, it is the prospect of a first major title that spurs him on. He cruised past India’s Kidambi Srikanth 21-14, 21-18.
“Today I am really happy with my performance and to reach my first world semi-final,” he said. “I will now prepare really hard for my match against Lin Dan.” India’s top singles Ramkumar Ramanathan has bowed out of the US Open qualifying event after losing his second round match to seasoned Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, here.
Ramkumar, who recently created ripples by scalping top-10 player Dominic Thiem, lost 3-6 7-6(5) 2-6 to Mahut in two hours and 29 minutes.
Ramkumar’s defeat means that India will not have repre- The headline from the U.S. Open draw ceremony on Friday came from the bottom two lines of the women’s bracket: a first-round match between second-seeded Simona Halep and the five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova.
Sharapova has not played at a Grand Slam event since the 2016 Australian Open, where she tested positive for the newly banned substance meldonium after losing to Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.
Sharapova has not played the Open since 2014. She missed the 2015 tournament with an injury and last year’s event because of her suspension.
Her meeting with Halep will be a rematch of the 2014 French Open final, which Sharapova won in three tough sets to claim her most recent major title. Sharapova has a 6-0 record against Halep, but she is at a significant disadvantage in preparedness and match play.
Halep is among a group of seven women who could take the No. 1 ranking from Karolina Pliskova by the end of the tournament. The others are No. 3 Garbiñe Muguruza, No. 4 Elina Svitolina, No. 5 Caroline Wozniacki; No. 7 Johanna Konta; No. 8 Svetlana Kuznetsova; and No. 9 Venus Williams.