Chen Long wins China Open
SHANGHAI: 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, 2113 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. Fifth seed Yamaguchi had been favourite against the 19-year-old Gao, who miraculously reached the final having never previously won a Superseries main-draw match. It all proved too much for the teenager on the day, even with the backing of the noisy home crowd, with the 20-year-old Yamaguchi coming through 21-13, 21-15 in 41 minutes. — AFP LONDON: David Goffin shocked overwhelming favourite Roger Federer on Saturday in the last four of the ATP Finals and will face Grigor Dimitrov for the title in the season finale.
Belgium’s Goffin had never previously beaten the Swiss 19-time Grand Slam champion in six attempts and was in deep trouble after losing the first set but he stormed back to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
In the later semifinal, Bulgarian sixth seed Dimitrov ended Jack Sock’s fairytale late-season run 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 in a battle pitting the American’s big forehand against Dimitrov’s rapier-like backhand.
Goffin will be hoping for a different outcome from the round-robin meeting earlier in the week, which Dimitrov won 6-0, 6-2. The Belgian had his work cut out against a pro-Federer crowd at London’s O2 Arena as the Swiss was
quickly into his stride, picking up volleys off his shoestrings and lacing backhands down the line. World number two Federer, 36, won his ninth consecutive set against his 26-year-old opponent in just 33 minutes. But the seventh seed, who 24 hours earlier admitted he did not have a clue how to beat Federer, hit back early in the second set to break and, rejuvenated, knocked his illustrious opponent out of his rhythm. Federer, suddenly looking vulnerable and unable to dominate, was powerless to stem the tide as Goffin went on to level the match before breaking again early in the decider.