In the men's singles field of the 2024 China Open Badminton Championships, a thrilling matchup shook the entire badminton world. World No. 28 Lei Lanxi takes on world No. 2 Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in a seemingly disparity of strength that ended in an upset victory for the former.
Lei Lanxi is ranked 28th in the world, while Axelsen is ranked 2nd in the world. Axelsen's two-time Olympic champion has been crowned with glory, starting with a bronze medal at Rio 2016 and winning two consecutive gold medals at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
It is worth mentioning that the two had just met in the final of the Hong Kong Open not long ago. Lei Lanxi faced Axelsen and lost 9-21, 12-21. Despite suffering a crushing defeat at the Hong Kong Open, Lei Lanxi was not discouraged.
As soon as the game began, Lei Lanxi showed a strong desire to win. He was proactive in attack, quickly dominating the court with a nimble pace and precise shots. In terms of score, Lei Lanxi led all the way and quickly suppressed Axelsen with a score of 11-6.
Lei Lanxi's outstanding performance made the audience excited, and they cheered for Lei Lanxi. With the encouragement of the crowd, Lei Lanxi became more and more courageous, and he constantly put pressure on Axelsen, making the Olympic champion feel an unprecedented challenge. In the end, Lei Lanxi took the lead with a score of 21-19 and won a good start for himself.
In the second game, Axelsen adjusted his form and tactics and began to launch fierce counterattacks. He used his height and strength to constantly cause trouble for Lei Lanxi. Under Axelsen's powerful offensive, Lei Lanxi gradually fell into passivity.
The score was once stalemate, and the two sides came and went, not giving in to each other. At 17-17 draws, the game went to a fever pitch. However, at this critical moment, Lei Lanxi made some mistakes and was seized by Axelsen to score continuously. In the end, Lei Lanxi lost the second game with a score of 17-21 and lost a good game.
The tiebreaker was even more intense, and both sides knew the importance of the game, so neither dared to let up in the slightest. As soon as the game began, the two sides engaged in fierce battles, and the score rose alternately. In the 4-4 draw, Lei Lanxi exerted his strength again, and he gradually opened the score through precise ball control and decisive attack.
Lei Lanxi led 11-5 into the break. During the break, the coach instructed Lei Lanxi to keep him calm and continue to play to his strengths. After the break, Lei Lanxi continued his good form, and he continued to extend his lead, and soon stretched the score to 16-9. At this time, although Axelsen struggled to catch up, Lei Lanxi did not give him any chance. In the end, Lei Lanxi sealed the victory with a score of 21-16.
Lei Lanxi's victory made him the sixth person to slay dragons in 2024, on par with many famous generals. Prior to this, Shi Yuqi, Wang Ziwei, Ginting, Da Popov, Zhou Tiancheng and others had defeated Axelsen in different matches. The addition of Lei Lanxi has made this "Dragon Slaying Club" even stronger.