Axelsen avenges Chen loss to reach world Badminton final
Sweden's Viktor Axelsen gained revenge over China's defending champion Chen Long in the World Championships semi-finals in Glasgow on Saturday. In a surprisingly short match, the Danish number three seed beat the Olympic champion 21-9, 21-10 in just 39 minutes and will now face either five-time champion Lin Dan or top seed Son Wan-Ho in the final. Chen had won the title in 2014 and 2015 and added the Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro last year, beating Axelsen in the semi-finals on his way to glory. "I am a little out of words," said Axelsen. "I never expected to win so comfortably and I am so very happy. I made very few mistakes today. "It was nice to get revenge from the Olympic semi-finals. I am very proud of myself. "Denmark is a small country, but I am very proud that we can compete with the bigger countries. It's a dream come true. Ever since I was a little boy, I dreamed of making a World Championships final." Chen, who was the number five seed, said: "I will get some rest and get back for the National Chinese Championships. Viktor played very well. "Yesterday, I was the last men's singles (match) on court and today I was the first. I need to get better at playing at a consistent level whenever I play."
