To the Viktor Go the Spoils

World No 5 thrilled to return to winning ways after capturing men's singles crown on Sunday

- ANMOL GURUNG @New Delhi

V for Viktor, V for victory. In a jam-packed KD Jadhav Indoor Hall here, a lone spectator could be heard chanting those words in the second game of the men's singles final of the India Open between Viktor Axelsen and Lee Cheuk Ki. Axelsen, considered to be sport's gold standard, was operating with plenty of gusto, bringing the crowd alive in the process.

In the end, Axelsen did what Axelsen has been doing for many moons now, notching up the nth victory of his career. This one was special for the Dane, who had performed below his usual standards in the last four months or so. Moreover, it was also a sweet revenge of sorts. The Danish veteran was facing Cheuk Yiu, a shuttler from Hong Kong who had knocked him out in the very first round of the Malaysia Open barely a week or so back.

Winning is in his DNA. After getting over the line (the final score read 21-16, 21-8 in the Dane's favour) against Cheuk Yiu on Sunday, Axelsen was visibly animated and celebrated with the fans.

"This title feels very, very special to me. I've struggled a little bit after the Olympics (Paris) with injuries, training and my motivation has been lacking a little bit. But this week, I felt like a competitor out there. I dug deep in every single match and found a solution. To be winning here means a lot. It gives me a lot of motivation," the former World No 1 told reporters.

On the day, Axelsen was patient in his approach in the opening stanza and Cheuk Yiu was getting some joy initially. But Axelsen gradually started to find his rhythm and with some sensible badminton, induced his opponent into making some unforced errors. That became a recurring theme.