Viktor Axelsen avenged his semi-final defeat in the German Open as he beat India’s star shuttler Lakshya Sen by 21-10 and 21-15. Sen's heartbreak defeat continued India's 21-year-long wait for the trophy. The 20-year-old did not look in control as he committed a few too many unforced errors in a one-sided affair that lasted 53 minutes at the Barclaycard Arena.
Axelsen dominated Sen from the start as he led the first game with six points and laid the foundation of his fifth win over the 20-year-old. In the first game, Axelsen breezed past Sen. The young Indian shuttler tried to make a comeback in the second game but the Danish shuttler extended the lead and tired out Sen to finish the match within an hour.
Despite losing the final, Sen is only the fifth Indian to reach the All England Championships final. Prakash Nath (1947), Prakash Padukone (1980, 1981), Pullela Gopichand and Saina Nehwal are the other four Indian shuttlers to achieve the feat. Padukone and Gopichand are the two shuttlers who have got their hands on the coveted trophy.
Last week, Sen stunned Axelsen in the German Open Super 300 tournament, beating him in the semi-final by 21-13, 12-21, 22-20. The game lasted for 70 minutes.
In the All England Championships semi-final, Sen beat defending champion Lee Zii Jia 21-13, 12-21, 21-19 to reach the finals. The game lasted for one hour and 16 minutes. On the other hand, Axelsen beat Chou Tien Chen by 21-13, 21-15 to setup summit clash with Sen.
Earlier in the day, Japan's Akane Yamaguchi beat South Korea's An Seyoung by 21-15, 21-15 to win the women's singles.
