Chris and Gabby Adcock added the Swiss Open (120.000 US Dollars) mixed doubles title to their Hong Kong Open triumph in late November. The England stars defeated their second successive Chinese pair to claim the Swiss title in Basel.
The world number 5 duo defeated China's Chai Biao and Tang Jianhua 21-17 21-13 in 38 minutes, having already repeated their Hong Kong final victory over Liu Cheng and Bao Yixin yesterday in a 64-minute, three-game semi-final. The Adcocks, the third seeds, had also been taken to three games in the quarter-finals by Indonesia's Praveen Jordan and Debby Susanto.
In Sunday's finals there was little to choose between the pairs until the Adcocks broke clear from Chai and Tang 14-14 in the opening game and took it on their first game point. That was the perfect springboard and the Adcocks led all the way in the second to clinch victory.
The result will set them up for the next two MetLife BWF World Superseries events early next month in India and Singapore before tackling the European Championships in Kazan, Russia, at the end of next month and the bigger prizes that lie ahead in the summer at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the World Championships in Copenhagen.
First major title for Viktor Axelsen
Denmark's youngster Viktor Axelsen celebrates his first Grand Prix Gold title by beating China's Houwei Tian in three games. The 20-year-old saved two match points against his Chinese pendant to take the victory in Basel (21-7, 16-21, 25-23). Axelsen, who is ranked 27 in the world, beat England's Rajiv Ouseph in the quarter-finals and his compatriot Jan Ø. Jørgensen in Saturday's semi-finals.
The men's singles triumph is the first European victory at the Swiss Open since 1998 when Peter Gade won this tournament at the age of 21.
Click here for full results from Basel.
Photos by BadmintonPhoto (Sven Heise).