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Rise of new superstars, resurgence of old legends, end of China’s hegemony -- the BWF Tour had it all in men’s singles this season. India dominated the Superseries circuit, thanks to Srikanth Kidambi’s exploits, which took Indian badminton to an all-time high.
As we bid adieu to 2017 today, it is a good time to look back at five of the best performers of the year. Who made the cut in Sportskeeda’s top 5 list?
Find out here:
#5 Son Wan Ho
Son Wan Ho didn’t get to taste any title glory in 2017, but his sheer consistency shone through in a year when he ascended to the top of the world rankings. The Korean, who is known for his defensive game, was always in the thick of things and his persistence was rewarded with a bronze medal at the World Championships.
The prized medal surely boosted his confidence level and he rode on the momentum to reach the semi-finals of the next three Superseries tournaments. With wins over Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei, the 29-year-old finished the 2017 season, ranked fifth.
#4 Chen Long
By his lofty standards, the reigning Olympic champion Chen Long had a disappointing season. It was, however, still good enough to put him in the fourth place in this list.
The former World No. 1 struggled with injuries and loss of form and his graph fluctuated. He won the Badminton Asia Championships in April and then it took him another seven months to win his next title at the China Open. In between, he added the World Championships bronze medal to his kitty, besides reaching the final in a couple other Superseries tournaments.
Just when it looked like Chen Long finally found some momentum to finish the season on a high, injury got the better of him and he had to pull out of the prestigious World Superseries Finals. Despite his numerous setbacks, the year showed what the Chinese is still capable of doing when he is healthy and confident.
#3 Lee Chong Wei
Lee Chong Wei might be all of 35 years, but his hunger and fighting spirit has not diminished one bit. Even at this age, the legend prevailed over opponents way younger than him at the most elite tournaments in the world.
Lee began the season by winning an incredible fourth All England Championships title. Even his participation at the tournament was in doubt after he tore his medial collateral ligament. He not only played, but won four out of his five matches in straight games in an astonishing result.
The former World No. 1 then lost the finals at the Malaysia Open and the Japan Open before decimating the field at the Hong Kong Open for his second title of the year. He carried that form into the World Superseries Finals and made Viktor Axelsen work hard in the final before losing in three games.
Clearly, age is just a number for the likes of Lee Chong Wei for whom passion for his sport surpasses everything else.
#2 Srikanth Kidambi
Srikanth Kidambi ran a close second in the race for the best men’s singles shuttler of the year. Viktor Axelsen beat him only because of the sheer weight of the titles that the Dane won in 2017.
But even then, his No. 2 position does not take away anything from the fact that the Guntur-born ace simply stamped his class on the Tour and established himself as the best Indian sportsman across all sports.
What a year he had!
With wins in Indonesia, Australia, Denmark, and France, he became the first Indian to amass four Superseries titles in one season and joined the pantheon of greats such as Lee Chong Wei, Lin Dan and Chen Long as the fourth player to achieve this feat. The irrepressible Srikanth made winning look like a child’s play when he grabbed Superseries titles in back-to-back weeks not just once, but twice! And he downed the best of the best on his way -- Viktor Axelsen, Chen Long, Son Wan Ho all bowed down to the Indian in his career-best season.
His phenomenal performances pushed him up to a career-high World No. 2 ranking in 2017.
#1 Viktor Axelsen
Towards the end of last year, Viktor Axelsen had told Sportskeeda that he wanted to focus on doing well at the All England Championships and the World Championships in 2017. While he faltered at the former, he fulfilled his promise at the latter.
This was a year in which Axelsen truly blossomed and came into his own. Ever since he was crowned the world junior champion in 2010, there was never any doubt of the immense talent that he is endowed with. But it took him some time to achieve his potential.
Last year’s Rio Olympic bronze medal and the World Superseries Finals title gave him what was earlier missing -- unwavering self-belief. The 23-year-old rode on it to find success at the World Championships, the World Superseries Finals, the Japan Open and the India Open, all of which contributed to sending up to the pinnacle of the world rankings.
He pretty much mastered every top shuttler this year. From Lin Dan to Lee Chong Wei, Chen Long, Srikanth Kidambi and Son Wan Ho, everyone succumbed to the Dane, bolstering his case as the world’s current best shuttler.
