Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen yesterday defeated world No. 1 Son Wan-ho in the men’s singles badminton semi-finals at the Japan Open.
Axelsen, who beat two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China to clinch the world title in Glasgow, Scotland, last month, overpowered South Korea’s Son with a 21-16, 21-16 win.
He now faces Malaysian Lee Chong Wei, who has won the Japan Open six times.
Photo: AFP
Lee booked a spot in the final after a 21-19, 21-8 win over China’s Shi Yuqi.
In the women’s singles, Spain’s Carolina Marin, Olympic gold medalist last year, reached the final as Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara dropped out from the semi-finals due to knee trouble.
Marin faces China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Chen Yufei 21-14, 25-23.
Okuhara, newly crowned women’s world champion, was aiming to reclaim the trophy on home soil after winning it in 2015.
Home fans at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium expressed disappointment when the organizers announced her withdrawal.
“I did my best [to recover], but this morning, I wasn’t in the condition to play,” Okuhara, 22, told reporters.
“I was ready for a battle mentally, but my body was telling me I couldn’t,” she said in tears.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two