Axelsen hot favourite but some regulars and youngsters can spoil his party

PETALING JAYA: Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen is one class above in the chase for the men’s singles title in the World Championships.

On paper, the 29-year-old is seen as the favourite to win his third world title and become the first Danish player to win it at home in Copenhagen.

Axelsen had won the last two in 2017 Glasgow and 2022 Tokyo.

However, there are two sets of different group of players eager to spoil his party.

One is the regular chasing pack, which includes Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan; Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, Shi Yuqi, Lu Guangzu of China, Angus Ng Ka Long of Hong, Anders Antonsen of Denmark, Kenta Nishimoto of Japan, Loh Kean Yew of Singapore, K. Srikanth and H.S. Prannoy of India.

Even the absence of second seed Anthony Ginting is unlikely to dilute the strength in the men’s singles.

The other group are several talented youngsters, aged 23 years and below, who are desperate to showcase their worth in the big stage.

They are 22-year-old Kodai Naraoka of Japan, Kunlavut Vitidsarn (22), Lakshya Sen (22), Li Shifeng (23) and Ng Tze Yong (23).

All of them have the abilities to pull off surprises on their good day.

It was unfortunate that they had to deal with some form of injuries and illness over the last one year but they are now fit, ready and raring for action at the worlds.

Out of the five in their early 20s, Vitidsarn has proven to be the most successful player this year, having won the Indian Open and Thailand Open.

He is also one of the few, together with Tze Yong, who have beaten Axelsen this year.

Former national coach Datuk Rashid Sidek still feels that Axelsen is head and shoulders above the others but agreed that some had caught up.

“It will be an interesting men’s singles affair this time,” said Rashid.

“On paper, Axelsen looks good. He has the home advantage too. He is driven to become the first Dane to win at his backyard.

“But we have seen some surprises in the world meet in the past, so we can’t rule out the others.

“I do feel that these younger batch of players like Kodai and Kunlavut have the pedigree to make this edition a memorable one for them.”

Rashid feels that China have a strong side to end their long wait for the men’s singles title too.

“They have four quality players (Shi Yuqi, Li Shifeng, Lu Guangzu, Zhao Junpeng) in the fray. It has been long since China won the men’s singles title, once dominated by Lin Dan, Chen Long, Yang Yang to mention a few,” he said.

“We can expect them to make their presence strongly felt this time.”

Lin Dan has won the world title five times followed by Yang Yang (2); Chen Long (2); Han Jian, Zhao Jianhua, Sun Jun, Xia Xuanze and Chen Jin (1). They, however, have not won the singles event since Chen Long’s feat in 2015 at Jakarta.

Malaysia are banking on former All-England champion Zii Jia and Tze Yong to end Malaysia’s wait for a singles world champion.

Datuk Lee Chong Wei has emerged as the runner-up three times but can Zii Jia and Tze Yong go one step better?

One thing is for sure, the chase for the world title this year is set to be exciting and thrilling.

MEN’S SINGLES PARTY POOPERS

THEY are young and dangerous. All of them have beaten top stars on their good days. They are hungry for success and are equally skilful.

They, however, lack consistency and experience but no one can take them lightly. All of them have experienced injuries at one point in their careers in the last one year but they are back at their best.

Will they steal the limelight at the World Championships in Copenhagen and spoil the party of the regular faces led by Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the men’s singles event?

Kodai Naraoka (Jpn)

Age: 22

World ranking: 4

In just a year, Naraoka has become Japan’s No. 1 player. He has not won any Open title this year but thanks to his consistent showing, he is now ranked fourth in the world. A determined player, crafty and will fight for every point. His stamina is extraordinary but injuries to his knee and hip last year stalled his progress a bit. He’s back at his best and is seen as an able replacement for Kento Momota.

Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha)

Age: 22

World ranking: 3

The three-time world junior champion from Thailand is one of the few players who has beaten the dominant Viktor Axelsen of Denmark this year. He is aggressive, sharp and plays smart. He went on to win the Indian Open and Thailand Open titles this year. A shoulder injury slowed him down this year but he is back to make life difficult for others.

Lakshya Sen (Ind)

Age: 22

World ranking: 11

Lakshya was doing great but struggled for eight months last year before making a comeback from a nose surgery. His condition had made it hard for him to breathe while training but he showed that he was back in business after reaching the semi-finals in the US Open and Japan Open recently. And the physically fit Lakshya never tires easily.

Li Shifeng (Chn)

Age: 23

World ranking: 6

Shifeng is seen as one of the better prospects from China’s camp, who had been searching for new stars since the retirement of Lin Dan. Shifeng seems to fit the bill if his determination is anything to go by. He too was affected by a foot injury late last year but has made his way to the top again by winning the recent US Open title. Has good instinct in the game and navigates his way intelligently on court.

Ng Tze Yong (Mas)

Age: 23

World ranking: 22

Tze Yong has shown his fans how good he can be. He has showed his resilience in tough matches and even defeated Viktor Axelsen at the All-England second round this year. A hamstring strain however, affected him in March, which saw him skipping a few tournaments but physically he has improved now. Tze Yong may be a quiet person by nature but on court, he has the potential to make loads of noise with his immense talent.