# Chong Wei falls to world champion Axelsen in three games
# Only his second defeat to the Dane in 11 matches
Defending champion Lee Chong Wei was looking for his seventh Japan Open title and his 100th career title but it never happened in Tokyo when the Malaysian was beaten by newly crowned world champion Viktor Axelsen in the final.
The lanky Dane won in three-games 21-14, 19-21, 21-14 in 75 minutes to pocket USD24,375. It is only the second time in 11 meetings that Chong Wei lost to the Dane.
The last time he lost to Axelsen was at the BWF Superseries Grand Finals in Dubai in December last year. The back to back defeats to the Danish ace leaves a nagging question if age is really a factor for Chong Wei.
Lack of fitness was the contributing factor said Chong Wei’s coach Tey Seu Bok who was in Tokyo with the player.
Meanwhile, Japan celebrated the women’s doubles title through their Olympic champions and world No 1 Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi who made up for their defeat in last year’s final which they lost to Denmark’s Kamilla Rhytter Juhl-Christina Pedersen.
The Japanese darlings outplayed Korea’s Kim Ha-na-Kong Hee-yong 21-18, 21-16 in 56 minutes on a day when Japan lost two other finals – the men’s doubles and the mixed doubles.
Indonesia’s deadly combo of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo defeated Japan’s hopes Takuto Inoue-Yuki Kaneko 21-12, 21-15.
In the mixed doubles China’s Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping were too strong for homesters Takuro Hoki-Sayaka Hirota with a 21-13, 21-8 win in only 33 minutes.
Defending women’s singles champion He Bingjiao surrendered her title to Spain’s Carolina Marin who triumphed 23-21, 21-12. Marin went into the final with a longer rest after when Japan’s world champion Nozomi Okuhara conceded a walkover in the semi-finals due to a knee injury.BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
RESULTS (All Finals)
Men’s singles
Viktor Axelsen (Den) beat Lee Chong Wei 21-14, 19-21, 21-14
Men’s doubles
Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Ina) beat Takuto Inoue-Yuki Kaneko (Jpn) 21-12, 21-15
Women’s singles
Carolina Marin (Spn) beat He Binjiao (Chn) 23-21, 21-12
Women’s doubles
Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) beat Kim Ha-na-Kong Hee-yong (Kor) 21-18, 21-16
Mixed doubles
Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping (Chn) beat Takuro Hoki-Sayaka Hirota (Jpn) 21-13, 21-8
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