Badminton world number one Viktor Axelsen survived a serious scare from HS Prannoy of India yesterday to advance to the semi-finals of the Japan Open.
But women’s world number one and home defending champion Akane Yamaguchi suffered a quarter-final heartbreak, giving seventh-seed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia a 21-11, 11-21, 21-18 victory.
Axelsen, the men’s reigning world champion and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, dropped the first game to the Malaysian Masters winner before finishing their nail-biting contest 19-21, 21-18, 21-8.
The Danish star struggled to find his usual form with an aggressive Prannoy applying pressure throughout the match.
“It was a tough match today. It could have gone both ways, I think,” Axelsen told reporters after the game. “But you know I am really happy about how I managed to pull through. It was physically really tough. However, I managed to win the crucial points in the second game and got a really good start in the third game. So all in all, really good.”
Axelson will face fast-rising home star Kodai Naraoka, who beat China’s Shi Yu Qi 11-21, 21-19, 21-14. Naraoka, speaking before Axelsen secured his victory, said he will go to the next game with a challenger’s spirit.
“I will have to make sure that I will be in the condition in which I can give my 100 percent,” whichever player rises to the semi-finals, he said.
In the women’s singles, top-seed Yamaguchi, defending champion here and reigning the world champion, said she failed to find her rhythm.
“I came under attack and couldn’t perform kinds of shots that I needed to stay a step ahead of my opponent,” she said.
“Rather than controlling and building the game, I could only endure.”
Turning her focus to World Championships next month in Copenhagen, Yamaguchi said she will sharpen the level of her confidence to defend the crown.