Bali: Viktor Axelsen has already clinched year-end No. 1 in the BWF World Rankings, but he wanted more at the 2021 BWF World Tour Finals. The Dane prevailed 21-12, 21-8 in the men’s singles final on Sunday against Kunlavut Vitidsarn in Nusa Dua, Bali.
The Tokyo Olympic gold medalist needed only 43 minutes to win his seventh title of 2021. Axelsen started 2021 by winning the rescheduled 2020 Yonex Thailand Open and the 2020 Toyota Thailand Open. He then won the Swiss Open on March 7, also defeated Kunlavut Vitidsarn with the score of 21-16, 21-6. After the Swiss Open, the 27-year-old went on to win the Tokyo Olympics, Denmark Open, Indonesia Open, and now the BWF World Tour Finals.
“I managed to follow my game plan and applied the best strategy for this match. I knew the opponent is a very talented player, so I tried to be patient with Kunlavut,” said Axelsen.
Axelsen dominated both games and faced no trouble from Vitidsarn at all in the final.
“I’m happy to be able to win the title again through a fast tempo match. I was able to control the rhythm of the match and walked away with the victory,” added Axelsen.
This was Axelsen’s third title at the year-end tournament. He had previously won the 2016, and 2017 editions when they were still being called “BWF Super Series Finals”.
In the men’s doubles final, Japan’s red-hot men’s doubles pair – Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi, held off local favorites, the World No. 1 Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo for the second time in three weeks, beating the Indonesia pair 21-16, 13-21, 21-17 to win their maiden BWF World Tour Finals title.
Hoki/Kobayashi defeated Gideon/Sukamuljo in the Indonesia Masters final three weeks ago but lost to the same opponents in last week’s Indonesia Open final.
