Dubai: Reigning World Champion Viktor Axelsen has set his sights on the All England Open crown as his topmost priority for 2018.
The 23-year-old Dane has worked through the ranks ever since he started playing badminton at eight years. In 2010, he became the first European player to become world junior champion when he beat South Korea’s Kang Ji-wook. The following year, he lost his world crown to Malaysia’s Zulfadli Zulkiffli.
However, he continued working through the ranks and by early 2014, he made his first foray on to the senior stage while winning the Swiss Open Grand Prix. In May 2016, he earned his first European crown beating countryman and defending champion Jan O. Jorgensen in straight games. He maintained his form to win bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics at the cost of Lin Dan.
He continued his evolution and that showed at the season finale at the Hamdan Sports Complex as he was crowned champion. And then this year has been a breakthrough year for him as he clinched gold at the BWF World Championships held in Glasgow after beating Lin Dan in straight games.
But it is the All England Open that he is after, more because he lost in the quarter-final to Chinese legend Lin Dan in three games. “That hurt a lot and now I have set the All England Open as my target for next season,” Axelsen told the media.
“With so many tournaments happening I think it is important to take one tournament at a time, one match at a time. This year and the next I will do the same because otherwise you tend to lose track of what’s important. But next year the most important tournament will be the All England Open for me. I will be keeping my eyes on that one,” he promised.
Axelsen has been pitted in Group B along with India’s Kidambi Srikant, China’s Shi Yuqi and Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen. “I’ve really enjoyed playing here the last two years. I have been playing quite well, so I hope that I can do the same this year,” Axelsen noted.
He refuses to stop his evolution as a player. In fact, one of the things he always does after every match is watch video recordings of his round and see where he has faltered so that he can come up with solutions. “I feel there is still room for improvement. And in order to keep improving one always has to look at the things from a different perspective, think differently and see what one can do better. And that’s how I am trying to do things. I constantly challenge myself as I think that physically and mentally there is still stuff to work on,” he said.
Axelsen’s biggest moment came later in 2016 when he won five of his six singles to lead Denmark to a historic first-ever 3-2 win over Indonesia in the Thomas Cup. “There are some special moments in my life and one of these is definitely the Thomas Cup. There is no secret to success. One needs to keep working hard and enjoy the journey. One also needs to learn to have fun and one can reach one’s goal,” Axelsen added.
