Axelsen in close badminton final

SHANGHAI: World number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark will play the reigning Olympic champion and home hope Chen Long in Sunday’s mouthwatering final of the China Open.

In the women’s draw in Fuzhou, the Japanese fifth seed Akane Yamaguchi takes on the Chinese qualifier Gao Fangjie, who had previously never made it past the first round of a Superseries event. The 23-year-old Axelsen, the current world champion and top seed, needed just 39 minutes to defeat unseeded Angus Ng Ka-long of Hong Kong 21-12, 21-17 in their one-sided semi-final on Saturday. The imperious Axelsen is just one win away from his maiden China Open triumph.

But first he must see off the sixth seed Chen, who booked his ticket for the final with a topsy-turvy 21-17, 10-21, 21-7 victory over South Korea’s second seed Son Wan-Ho in 71 minutes. Chen, 28, holds a strong advantage in his meetings with Axelsen, beating the Dane seven times and losing to him just once.

China Open semi-final results:

Women: Akane Yamaguchi (JPN x5) bt Ratchanok Intanon (THA x8) 21-14, 21-18

Gao Fangjie (CHN) bt Carolina Marin (ESP x4) 21-19, 21-19

Men: Chen Long (CHN x6) bt Son Wan-Ho (KOR x2) 21-17, 10-21, 21-7

Viktor Axelsen (DEN x1) bt Angus Ng Ka-long (HKG) 21-12, 21-17.