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The India Open will commence in Delhi tomorrow (January 16) and the lineup for the tournament is certainly impressive. However, one athlete that fans will miss at the IG Stadium is Viktor Axelsen, who has chosen to withdraw from the event due to health concerns.
Axelsen, who has single-handedly dominated most of the men's singles events he's played over the last handful of years, was one of the headliners at the upcoming Super 750. The Dane, who's currently topping the world ranking charts, kicked off his season earlier this month at the Malaysia Open.
The 30-year-old looked his typical self in Kuala Lumpur last week before he fell short to China's Shi Yi Qui after three grueling sets in the semifinals. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Viktor Axelsen announced his withdrawal from the India Open due to issues with his health. He wrote:
“Hi all, after my match on Saturday I’ve been laying in bed ill and after talking with the medical team present here in Malaysia, I’ve been advised to get additional checkup. That means that I unfortunately won’t be able to travel and be present at India Open this year, which is rather disappointing as it has been a tournament where I’ve loved to play in front of the Indian badminton fans.”
India Open Super 750: Viktor Axelsen’s absence clears the path
While fans might be slightly disappointed at Viktor Axelsen missing the India Open, his absence certainly improves the country's chance for a title in the men's singles event.
India has four players in action at the men's singles of the Super 750, and in the top half of the draw, Lakshya Sen and Priyanshu Rajawat will face each other in their opening round.
The winner of that encounter will face compatriot HS Prannoy in the round of 16, as long as he can get past Chou Tien Chen in his first match. Had Axelsen been playing in Delhi, the winner of this clash would have been forced to deal with the giant in their quarterfinals.
In the bottom half of the draw, the sole Indian, Kidambi Srikanth will battle Lee Cheuk Yiu in his round of 32. If Kidambi can get past Lee, he will most likely have to take on Thai seventh seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the pre-quarterfinals.
