By defeating Tai Tzu Ying in Bangkok this past Sunday, Olympic champion Carolina Marin has signaled she is in top form heading toward the Tokyo Games. On the men's side, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark showed great resilience; despite battling a fever, the fourth seed cruised to a straight-sets victory over Angus Long from Hong Kong.
Defending Olympic champion Carolina Marin supported her odds of shielding in Tokyo in the not-so-distant future in the wake of winning the Thailand Open in Bangkok on Sunday against Tai Tzu Ying. Despite having a fever, fourth seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark played marvelously in the men’s final to win the title in straight sets against Hong Kong’s Angus Long.
The former world number one from Spain displayed incredible agility and precision, utilizing sharp smashes and clever net play to control the match. Marin left little room for error, defeating the 26-year-old Taiwanese player 21-9, 21-16 in a match that lasted 42 minutes.
Marin explained that her goal was to assert her will to win from the very first point. Tai Tzu Ying acknowledged that she wasn't at her peak and found it nearly impossible to match Marin's blistering speed, noting that the Spaniard's relentless aggression kept her on the defensive throughout.
Having made history as the first non-Asian woman to win Olympic gold, Marin has faced a grueling recovery process from a knee injury to protect her title in Tokyo. In the men's final, Axelsen maintained his momentum with a 21-14, 21-14 victory over Long.
Reflecting on his win, Axelsen mentioned that because he had been away from competition for a while, he knew he had to bring his A-game to the final, and expressed his delight at coming out on top.
Angus Long admitted he wasn't playing at 100%, estimating he was only at about 70% capacity. He noted that since this was the first event of 2021, he hadn't actually expected to make it to the finals. This win continues a strong run for Axelsen, following his success at the All-England Badminton Championship in mid-March. The Thailand Open marks the start of a three-tournament stretch that will culminate in the World Tour Finals on January 27.
It was continuous wins for Axelsen in the wake of winning the All-England Badminton Championship in mid-March. Amongst the three consecutive tournaments, the Thailand Open is the first which will end the trio with the World Tour Finals from January 27.
The event was held within a strict bio-secure bubble to protect the athletes, though the tournament was still marred by three reported positive Covid-19 cases.
In the women's doubles, Indonesia's Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu put on a clinic, defeating Thailand's Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai 21-15, 21-12. The men's doubles saw Taiwan's Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin edge out Malaysia's Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong in a tight contest, 16-21, 23-21, 19-21. Action resumes this Tuesday.
In the men’s doubles, Taiwan’s Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin beat Malaysia’s Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong 16-21, 23-21, 19-21. The next tournament starts Tuesday.