Hong Kong: Two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen secured his first Hong Kong Open title on Sunday after defeating China’s Lei Lanxi in the final.
Highlights of Viktor Axelsen vs. Lei Lanxi in the 2024 Hong Kong Open final:
The Danish player, who had not lost a single set throughout the tournament this week since winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, took 44 minutes to overcome Lanxi 21-9, 21-12 in front of a packed crowd at the Hong Kong Coliseum.
This marks the world number two’s second BWF World Tour title this year, following his victory at the Malaysia Masters in May.
Axelsen admitted he had not expected this achievement but was pleased to maintain his top form since the end of the Paris Olympics, which he noted was challenging.
“I managed to play very aggressively but also with a good balance in my game,” said Axelsen.
Axelsen became the first Danish player to win the Hong Kong Open title since Peter Gade last did so in 1997.
Meanwhile, in the women’s singles, China’s Han Yue proved her status as a rising star by defeating Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-18, 21-7 in the final.
In the mixed doubles final, China’s pair Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin emerged victorious after beating their compatriots Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping 21-17, 21-19.
South Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae claimed the men’s doubles title by overcoming the Indonesian pair, Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani, 21-13, 21-17.
