Viktor Axelsen dethrones Long; Marin crashes to Okuhara

Dubai - Japan has two candidates in the five-final schedule on Sunday.

Danish badminton was back in the news after a year's wait, when 21-year old Viktor Axelsen stunned the Chinese 'emperor' of the sport, Chen Long 21-12, 21-17 in the semifinal of the second $1 million MetLife Dubai BWF World Superseries Finals on Saturday night.
The fast rising Danish number two now meets Japan's Kento Momota, the second seed, in the men's singles summit clash on Sunday evening. Momota had to wear down last year's semifinalist and the third seed, Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark before registering a 21-19, 21-18 victory. Japan has two candidates in the five-final schedule on Sunday.
The women's championship will see another youngster making a serious challenge in the singles final. After young Tai Tzu Ying's (Taipei) title run here last season, Japanese 20-year-old Nozomi Okuhara, stamped her class on Saturday evening, with an authoritative 21-11, 21-12 victory over the top seed and world champion Carolina Marin of Spain in the women's semifinal.
Nozomi who says being 5ft 1in is of no disadvantage in badminton, runs into Chinese veteran Wang Yihan who accounted for Thailand's former world champion Ratchanok Intanon 21-12, 21-12 in the second semifinal.
Playing a similar style of the game in the first men's last four fixture, the two six footers - Chen and Axelsen - went about business first by trying to gauge the depth of the baseline returns and drops.
"This is the greatest moment of my life, to beat Chen Long when he is on top of the sport. I will go back and relax for a moment without any thought and have a celebration, on my own, of course" Axelsen who had a 0-7 head-to-head prior to the game with Chen on Saturday, said.
Axelsen's father Henrik said: "He is quite an independent man. Does his things all by himself especially before and during an event. It is a wonderful feeling to be next to him on a night like this as I hardly travel with him on the Tour."
moni@khaleejtimes.com