Dechapol/Sapsiree Clinch Three Titles in a Row, Axelsen & Carolina Miss Out – Finals Day at HSBC BWF World Tour Finals

Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai notched up their third successive title in Bangkok as they took home the Mixed Doubles Title at the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals, even as Viktor Axelsen and Carolina Marin lost their opportunity in the men’s & women’s singles, respectively.

Playing the final match of the evening the home team squared off against Seo Seung Jae/Chae Yujung. They took the tight first game before surrendering the second one with relative ease. It set up a thrilling finale in the third game, and the winners of both the Thailand Open championships in the previous weeks made lightwork of their South Korean opponents to take home the third title in three weeks.

21-18 8-21 21-8 the final score for the Thai champions. 

In men’s singles Anders Antonsen produced a remarkable fightback to win the title against his countryman and hot favorite Viktor Axelsen. Viktor had been in superb form in all of the three weeks in Bangkok and was widely anticipated to take home the title in the season ending tournament. And yet Antonsen clearly had other ideas and he produced a stunning performance in the final game to ward off the challenge from Viktor.

Having lost a tight opening game, Viktor game back roaring to take the second game. He took the first five points of the game before Antonsen could get on the board and led 11-1 at the halfway mark. The third game stayed tight for the most part before the challenger opened up a brief lead with a string of five straight points. And despite Viktor’s best efforts Antonsen held off the challenge and took home the third major title of his career, and certainly the biggest so far.

In the women’s singles, Carolina Marin lost to Tai Tzu Ying in a thrilling finale to the proceedings in Bangkok. Playing the third consecutive finals, the two players battled hard in the opening exchanges before Carolina put turned up the gears to open up a sizeable lead. She comfortably took home the opening game and it looked like Carolina was on course for a troika of wins in Bangkok.

However, Tai Tzu ran away with the second game to set up a tantalizing finish. And it went right down to the wire. At 19-17 in the third game, it looked like Carolina had the title in her sights, but Tai Tzu brushed past the Olympic champion to take the title 21-14 8-21 19-21 in an hour and seven minutes.

Men’s Doubles arguably produced the upset of the day with challengers Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin defeated the much more accomplished Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan. Playing against, their self-confessed idols, the pair from Chinese Taipei clearly had no fear of the big stage or opponents. They cast aside the Indonesians 21-17 23-21 in just 37 minutes to win their first ever World Tour Finals Title.

In women’s doubles, it was an all-South Korean affair as Lee So Hee/Shin Seung Chan took on Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Young. A pulsating tie went from one side to another, and the former pair eventually took the honours in an hour and thirty-two minutes of scintillating action.