Tokyo: There is a first time for almost everything in sport. On August 2, 2021, we will not see either Lee Chong Wei or Lin Dan in the Olympic men’s singles final for the first time since the 2008 Beijing Games. The two badminton legends had shown us some of the most thrilling and legendary matches ever to be played in Badminton. BadmintonPlanet would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their contribution to the sport of badminton.
On Sunday, reigning Olympic champion Chen Long of China managed to wrest complete control against World No. 5 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting by focusing on flat shots and targeting mostly at the middle of the court to limit the attacks and quickness of Ginting. That strategy paid off handsomely for Chen as he completed the match 21-16, 21-11 in 56 minutes to make his second consecutive Olympic final.
If Chen would go on to win the Tokyo Games men’s singles gold medal, he would be the second men’s singles player to ever achieve that after Lin Dan did it in 2008 and 2012.
In another men’s singles semi-finals, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark defeated Guatemala’s dark horse Kevin Cordon in straight-sets and successfully advanced to the final.
At the beginning of the first game, World No. 59 Cordon fought fiercely against World No. 2 Axelsen. After 7-7, Axelsen widen the lead and entered the interval with 11-8. Cordon was playing with beautiful net shots alongside some strong smashes to tie the score at 12-12, 13-13, 14-14. Axelsen scored three consecutive points after 18-18 to win the first game in a harder than expected fashion with 21-18.
Axelsen looked poised to run away with the contest by beating Cordon 21-11 in the second game to reach his first-ever Olympic final.
Cordon and Ginting will play for the men’s singles bronze medal in the bronze medal playoff on Monday.
