Lei Lanxi (L) and Viktor Axelsen pose for photo during the awarding ceremony of the men's singles final between Lei Lanxi of China and Viktor Axelsen of Denmark at the Hong Kong Open 2024 badminton tournament in Hong Kong, China, Sept. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark breezed past China's Lei Lanxi to win the Hong Kong Open badminton championships in Hong Kong on Sept. 15.

Second-seeded Axelsen took only 16 minutes to secure the first set 21-9. Although he fell behind 5-3 in the second, he quickly regained his form and sealed the victory with a score of 21-12.

"I am very happy," Axelsen said in Chinese. "I am very lucky. I have won many championships, but this is my first in Hong Kong."

Known in China by his Chinese name, An Sai Long, Axelsen competed in his first tournament since defending his Olympic title in Paris.

"I have been under a lot of pressure because I didn't get enough training after the Olympic Games. Therefore, I am quite surprised to find that I can still perform at such a high level."

In the women's singles final, China's Han Yue claimed victory by defeating Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-18, 21-7 in just 35 minutes.

Han, who had previously beaten Wardani at the Malaysia Open in January, extended her head-to-head record against Wardani to 4-0.

"It was not easy at all," Han said. "She created many challenges for me. Fortunately, I was well prepared for the final."

In the mixed doubles, second seeds Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin overcame top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping in an all-Chinese final to win the championship.

The women's doubles event saw Malaysia's Tan Pearly and Thinaah Muralitharan triumph over the Chinese duo Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning with a score of 21-14, 21-14.

The men's doubles title was claimed by South Korea's Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae, who defeated Indonesia's pair of Sabar Karyaman Gutma and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani 21-13, 21-17.

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