India Open 2023: Viktor Axelsen downs Jonatan Christie in straight games to reach final

New Delhi: World number one Viktor Axelsen cruised into the India Open badminton final after he eased past Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 21-6, 21-12 on Saturday. The Danish ace and top seed, fresh from his Malaysia Open win on Sunday, served out his fourth-seed opponent in 38 minutes in the men’s singles semi-finals in New Delhi. “I feel really good. I felt really fresh going into my match today,” said Axelsen, whose quarter-final match on Friday was cut short when his compatriot Rasmus Gemke retired with a leg injury. “I moved well and shots were good.” Axelsen, who won the India Open in 2017 and 2019, will take on Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn – who fought past Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia 27-25, 21-15 – in the Sunday final. “I’m looking forward to a good final and I have played Vitidsarn on several occasions in the final,” he said. The 21-year-old Vitidsarn, a former world junior champion, banked on strong defence to counter the attacking style of Ginting, who started by taking a 12-6 lead, in a 58-minute battle. Women’s top seed and Japanese star Akane Yamaguchi beat Thailand’s Supanida Katethong 21-17, 21-16 to set up a title clash with An Se-young – a repeat of Sunday’s final in Malaysia, which Yamaguchi won. The two-time world champion and current world number one remained at the top of her game to claim victory in 39 minutes against the Thai. In the other semi-final, South Korea’s An fought back from a game down to beat China’s He Bing Jiao 11-21, 21-16, 21-16.