All England: Axelson set to defend title

Birmingham, March 21: Viktor Axelsen is one win away from defending his All England Open title as the Danish shuttler edged compatriot Anders Antonsen 16-21, 21-7 and 21-17 in the semifinal. Axelsen, 27, had lost his previous match against Antonsen in Thailand in January. The former world champion came from behind for the third time in four matches to win the semifinal. Axelsen will face Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in the final of the competition for the first time after beating Dutch shuttler Mark Caljouw 21-13 and 21-17. Several teams such as China and South Korea skipped the competition due to concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, Indonesian players and Turkey’s Neslihan Yigit were forced to withdraw from the competition after Wednesday’s first round as they were required to self-isolate after a passenger traveling on the same flight tested positive for Covid-19. (IANS)