Danish world champion Viktor Axelsen (24) will face Japanese shuttler Kento Momota in the final of the BLIBLI Indonesia Open 2018 after beating China's Shi Yuqi in three games.
World number one Axelsen battled back from one game down against Shi Yuqi to beat the world number three reigning YONEX All-England champion from China 18-21, 21-14, 21-11 in today’s semi-final match.
"Being in the final of Indonesia Open is a dream come true for me. I am really happy,“ he said after the match.
„I am sure it’ll be a great atmosphere in the Istora Senayan stadion tomorrow. For opportunities like this, all the hard work is worth it. I will also try to enjoy the match, because I don’t know how many chances I will get to reach another final in Jakarta. Hopefully there will be a few - but I don’t know. I will do my very best“, Axelsen told TV2 Sporten.
In the women’s singles category, world no. 1, Tai Tzu Ying beat 8th-ranked He Bingjiao of China 21-13, 21-18 to reach Sunday’s final - where she will face world no. 5 Chen Yufei of China. The straight victory brought her winning streak in major tournaments to 28 matches in a row, a new career high.
Axelsen's compatriot Denmark's Jan Ø. Jørgensen won the Indonesia Open title in 2014. He became the first European men’s singles champion at the Indonesia Open, one of badminton’s most prestigious tournaments.
Indonesia Open 2018 finals:
MS: Viktor Axelsen (DEN) - Kento Momota (JPN)
WS: Tai Tzu Ying (TPE) - Chen Yufei (CHN)
MD: Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (INA) - Takuto Inoue/Yuki Kaneko (JPN)
WD: Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara (JPN) - Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (JPN)
XD: Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir (INA) - Chan Peng Soon/Goh Liu Ying (MAS)
Click here for all results of the Indonesia Open.