Long beats Axelson to win China Open
Olympic champion Chen Long delighted the home crowd as he defeated world number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark to win the China Open for a fourth time on Sunday.
The sixth-seeded Chinese emerged from a see-saw battle 21-16, 14-21, 21-13 in Fuzhou, getting the better of the world champion and top seed in 72 engrossing minutes.
The 23-year-old Axelsen has had a superb year, winning the world title and becoming the leading figure in the men’s game.
But Sunday’s defeat extends his poor run against the more experienced Chen, 28, who has now won eight of their nine meetings. It was Chen’s first China Open crown since 2013.
There was to be no Chinese fairytale however in the women’s decider.
Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi beat Chinese qualifier Gao Fangjie to win her first Superseries title of the year.
AN 11-SECOND BOUT
Zolani Tete took just 11 seconds to record the fastest knockout in world championship fight history in Belfast on Saturday night.
The South African etched his name into the record books when he flattened countryman Siboniso Gonya with his first punch to retain his World Boxing Organisation bantamweight crown.
YOUTH BOXING
The AIBA Women’s Youth Boxing Championships got off to a colourful start here in the presence of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal as no India featured in the opening day’s bouts. The first day of the Championships witnessed some upset results with fancied Waikai Shylah of New Zealand and England’s Chloe Watson crashing out of in the first round.
Shylah, who trains in Australia but represents NewZealand, started off well against her Australian opponent Heibloem Indianna before losing by a close 2-3 margin in the 51kg light flyweight category.
SHANGHAI:
MUMBAI OPEN TENNIS
LONDON: GUWAHATI:
India number one tennis player, Ankita Raina, will play against unseeded Russian Veronika Kudermetova in the first round of the USD 125,000 L&T Mumbai Open at the Cricket Club of India’s courts here.
Raina, who is ranked 281 in the world, has five singles and seven doubles titles to her credit on the ITF tour.
MUMBAI: