Kunlavut Viditsarn stuns World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen for India Open title

The young Thai admittedly played the best game of his career in his sixth meeting against the reigning Olympic champion, which was also his first win against the highly-decorated rival.

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“I didn’t enter the final expecting I can win,” said Kunlavut after the win. “I did gain some confidence after winning the first game but never thought I can win this after losing the second game but backed myself to fight for every point.”

Kunlavut took early charge in the final against a much-superior opponent by slowing his game down to unsettle Axelsen’s rhythm. The plan worked initially as the Kunlavut took 5-3 lead. The in-form Dane, however, soon levelled the score at 6-6 with his opponent making unforced errors.

Axlesen soon charged forward with a cushion of a lead with Kunlavut’s mistakes piling but kept himself in the game by taking the pace of his retrievals to level points at 16-16. Kunlavut gained some momentum by taking a couple of crucial points to put himself at the front.

Kunlavut, however, made the most of his rival’s side-court error to clinch the game 22-20.

Axelsen had little difficulty leveling the score again and at a crucial juncture at 20-20.

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The second game saw Axelsen getting back in his element as he charged Kunlavut with his aggressive game and soon raced away with an 8-3 lead. The youngster was playing the game into the hand of the World No. 1 this time as he picked two further points from smashes on weak returns to make itt 11-5 going into the second game’s break.

Little changed post the break as Viktor kept on picking points with ease and some supremacy to take the game 21-10 and level the final 1-1.

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The beginning of the third game, however, promised a grand finale with Kunlavut upping the ante. The Thai made some strong retrievals and was sharp to take his chances while taking the game to Axelsen, who often had no answer to some of Kunlavut’s returns as the score read 8-5 in the Thai’s favour.

Axelsen then committed judgemental and net errors against a persistent Kunlavut, who stretched the lead to 10-6.

The Danish then reduced the gap in a battle of rallies as his rival made a weak return and then a side-court error to see his lead shrink to 11-9.

Kunlavut did get his act together after those errors as he targetted the side courts to stretch a crucial and big 18-10 gap.

With the momentum on his, the youngster was never losing the match from there and soon closed the game at 21-12.