COPENHAGEN, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Viktor Axelsen won his second Danish Masters badminton title after Hans-Kristian Vittinghus got injury late in the second set during a one-sided final in Aarhus on Saturday.
Out of the blocks, the favorite, 26-year-old Axelsen, came out attacking his opponent like a ferocious leopard. Using all his well-honed flexibility, Axelsen virtually ripped his opponent's game to shreds with a threatening attacking game that kept springing out of his solid defensive play.
Vittinghus, desperately trying to make an impression, but the 34-year-old seemed isolated and vulnerable on the court, as he virtual reeled under the successive avalanche of attacks Axelsen had at his disposal.
Losing the first set by 11-21, Vittinghus bravely refused to surrender and again the second set battled hard against the dominant force that was Axelsen.
At 9-16, fate stepped in, Vittinghus picked up an injury to his thigh.
With the score 9-18, Vittinghus reluctantly approached the net to concede to the dominant but humble Axelsen, himself often absent at the Danish Masters in recent years due to injury.
Winning due to injury is not the way any champion wishes to be crowned but Axelsen's victory was entirely deserved. He was in a class of his own during the entire match.
In contrast, the women's singles final was a much closer affair as Line Christophersen took her first Danish Masters title with a 21-16, 22-20 victory over Julie Dawall Jakobsen.
The mixed doubles final ended with Niclas Nohr and Sara Thygesen edging to victory over Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje 15-21, 21-18, 21-19.
And despite the shock exit to 18-year-old Magnus Johannesen earlier in the week, Anders Antonsen blushes were saved when he was named Denmark's badminton player of the year 2019, during a brief ceremony at Danish Masters on Saturday.
