Due to Viktor Axelsen’s withdrawal with an injury, Anders Antonsen and the men’s doubles pair Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen represent Europe’s hopes for success at the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China.
The tournament is different from regular World Tour events, as it features a group stage format, similar to what we see at the Olympics. Both Danish entries had a strong start to the tournament, winning their opening group matches.
Anders Antonsen entered the competition on a high, having won two consecutive tournaments and riding a 10-match winning streak. Today, he faced Li Shi Feng from China, a player against whom Antonsen had a 2-2 head-to-head record prior to this match. Antonsen appeared comfortable on the court and exuded confidence. He secured a convincing victory with a score of 21-14, 21-19. Tomorrow, Antonsen will face Lee Zii Jia from Malaysia, who defeated Chou Tien Chen 21-13, 21-15 in his opening match.
In the men’s doubles, Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen defeated Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin with scores of 21-18, 16-21, 21-14. Tomorrow, the Danes will face their nemesis from the Olympic Games, the two-time Olympic champions Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin from Chinese Taipei, who also won their first group match today.