After 16 wins in a row from the start in 2024, Anders Antonsen lost the quarter-finals at the French Open on Friday
Anders Antonsen never came close to his top level when he was knocked out of the French Open by the Indonesian Chico Dwi Wardoyo on Friday. (Archive photo). Photo: Adek Berry/Ritzau Scanpix
The Danish badminton player was until Friday undefeated in 2024. 16 victories in a row had given two tournament victories, an EC team title and a quarter-final place at the ongoing French Open.
But the party stopped here. A sometimes uninspired effort was punished by the Indonesian Chico Dwi Wardoyo, who sent the Dane out with the numbers 21-15, 21-8.
Thus, there are no Danish men’s singles left in the tournament.
Antonsen played a little too aggressively from the start, and Wardoyo was given too much time to set up his offensive well.
At the same time, the 26-year-old Dane struggled to find the back line and conceded several points on that account. While Wardoyo very successfully kept Antonsen on the backline and took the sting out of his highly technical game.
Antonsen trailed by a point or two, and as Wardoyo was difficult to score points against and did not make many mistakes, it became difficult for the Dane.
From 16-15, the Indonesian took five points in a row and then the set was Wardoyo’s.
The Indonesian had been through two grueling matches in the first and second rounds of the tournament. Both three-set victories had lasted an hour and a half, but he did not seem tired in any way.
He continued to control the match and quickly pulled away from Antonsen after the change of sides.
From 4-2, Wardoyo grabbed seven points in a row and was ahead 11-2 at the break in the set.
Anders Antonsen looked like a man who already had his mind set on next week’s All England. And in relation to the dream of a victory in that tournament, a few days’ extra break hardly hurts.
The Dane didn’t do much to get back into the game. On the contrary. It gave an easy victory to Wardoyo.
2024-03-08 19:02:42
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