Olympic badminton champion Viktor Axelsen and former world number one Tai Tzu-ying emerged victorious in their respective BWF World Tour Finals championships held in Hangzhou on Sunday.
Axelsen, the 29-year-old Danish star, showcased his dominance by defeating China's Shi Yuqi in a straight-set victory of 21-11, 21-12 during the men's final of the year-ending Badminton World Federation (BWF) event in eastern China. Despite acknowledging significant disappointments earlier in the year, Axelsen expressed immense pride and resilience, emphasising that, as a great sportsman, he rebounded from setbacks to claim notable titles.
In the women's final, world number four Tai Tzu-ying fought back to triumph over Spain's Carolina Marin with a scoreline of 12-21, 21-14, and 21-18. Marin, a former Olympic champion and the sole European in the women's top 10, reached the final after a gripping three-set battle against China's Chen Yufei in the semi-finals.
Tai Tzu-ying, reflecting on her performance, noted challenges in her preparation due to limited training but affirmed her determination to compete at her best against strong opponents like Marin and Chen Yufei.
In the men's doubles, South Korean world champions Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae secured victory by overcoming the Chinese pair of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang with a score of 21-17, 22-20. Meanwhile, in the women's doubles, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan delighted the home crowd by defeating South Korea's Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee with a scoreline of 21-16, 21-16.
The mixed doubles title went to the all-Chinese pair Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, who defeated Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping with a score of 21-11, 21-18 in a thrilling final.
