Viktor Axelsen was clearly annoyed and went to the opponent’s coach when things escalated in Tokyo
Foto: Richard A. Brooks/AFP/Ritzau Scanpix
– Why are you sitting and talking when I’m about to serve?
The question was pointed and made everyone in Yoyogi National High School stop what they were doing.
Viktor Axelsen had narrowed his eyes and asked the question. It was not directed at the opponent in the quarter-finals of the Japan Open, Indian HS Prannoy, nor the referee of the match.
It was against the legend behind the touchline, Pullela Gopichand, Prannoy’s coach.
What Gopichand said we do not know. But it was probably to Prannoy on the court, and the question from Axelsen was in reality probably as much an expression of the Dane’s frustration with his own game, the problems he faced halfway through the 2nd set, and also Prannoy’s constant attempts on slowing down the pace and postponing the duels.
Foto: Richard A. Brooks/AFP/Ritzau Scanpix
Viktor Axelsen ended up winning the match (19-21, 21-18, 21-8), but by this time he had lost the 1st set 21-19 and was seriously on his heels after a slow start to the second round. He was irritated by the whole thing, and when the serve judge called him a fault at 16-16, the frustration came out again.
Axelsen roared his displeasure, but the decision was not about to change.
Eminent smash
A grueling round of badminton had gone before, where the Indian delivered a magnificent match, and where he showed that his smash is among the few in the world that can match Viktor Axelsen’s.
The Dane managed to win the 2nd set. Because he managed to keep his composure just as it all seemed to be snarling. At the same time, Prannoy was helplessly gasping for breath with a pulse we don’t even dare to guess. After the scary start, where Prannoy went 5-0, Axelsen had been behind until he equalized at 15-15.
Photo: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Ritzau Scanpix Photo: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Ritzau Scanpix
Despite the umpire’s ruling, Axelsen maintained the momentum and got to 20-17 and won the set on his second set point.
And then followed an agonizing 3rd set. For Prannoy.
Both were finished
Because the tank was empty. He simply had nothing more to give. Axelsen was also tired. But Prannoy was exhausted. And although at times he delivered some wonderful strikes, it was a question of duels before he had to be shipped out of the hall.
From 5-5, Viktor Axelsen went relentlessly to 12-5. His exhaustion was also visible but he did not make as many mistakes as Prannoy did. At the same time, he managed to pull off some rescues that we mortals can only dream of.
Quite symptomatic of the match, the last duel was long and exhausting. In the end, however, the Indian threw the ball out of bounds. To the delight of everyone on the field.
In the semi-final on Saturday, Viktor Axelsen meets 22-year-old Kodai Naraoka. He is the last remaining Dane in the Super 750 tournament.
2023-07-28 09:19:51
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