Double Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen set to chase record Hong Kong Open jackpot
Advertisement
In his first competition after claiming his second straight Olympic gold in Paris last summer, Dane Axelsen broke his Hong Kong duck by beating China's Lei Lanxi in a one-sided final.
For this year's event, set for Hong Kong Coliseum from September 9 to 14, Axelsen will be joined in a loaded men's draw by China's world No 1, Shi Yuqi.
The dramatic thunderstorms on Tuesday washed out a planned press conference, but not the enthusiasm of organisers, who anticipated the six-day event sparking a 'new wave of sporting excitement in Hong Kong'.
The Hong Kong men's charge will be led by world No 13 and 2019 champion Lee Cheuk-yiu, along with Angus Ng Ka-long, who became the first home winner in 2016, and Jason Gunawan, a quarter-finalist last year.
Hong Kong's Happy Lo in action at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong could be the stage for Dubai-based Axelsen's return to action after he had surgery in April to cure long-standing back problems.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong new boy Neil Robertson backs city to host World Snooker Championship
Neil Robertson raised the possibility of moving lock, stock and barrel to Hong Kong, and said he would be 'right behind' the idea of the city hosting the World Snooker Championship. As the reigning World Grand Prix champion and winner of the 2017 Hong Kong Masters, Robertson welcomed the thought of snooker's marquee event coming to the city. The Crucible Theatre's contract to host the World Championship expires in 2027 – 50 years on from when the tournament was first held at the 980-seat Sheffield venue. 'I'd love to see it move around; it shouldn't stay in one place,' Robertson said. 'Fans in Asia have every right to support a World Championship, so I would be right behind it [coming to Hong Kong], for sure.' Robertson also mooted mainland China as a potential destination for the 17-day competition after Zhao Xintong became the country's first winner this year. Australian Robertson holds court at the launch of the Hong Kong Billiard Sport Academy. Photo: Jonathan Wong World No 1 and fellow Hong Kong resident Judd Trump similarly said there was 'much more chance than ever' of China landing the tournament following Zhao's breakthrough triumph.
RTHK
6 hours ago
- RTHK
Top two seeds fall as Khachanov and Shelton make final
Top two seeds fall as Khachanov and Shelton make final Karen Khachanov was just one point away from losing to Alexander Zverev before rallying to reach his first final of the year. Photo: Reuters Karen Khachanov rallied to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev and booked an ATP Toronto Masters title clash with Ben Shelton, who beat second seeded Taylor Fritz. Khachanov fought back from 3-1 down in the final-set tiebreaker on Wednesday to beat Zverev 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4). Shelton, seeded fourth, hammered Fritz 6-4, 6-3 in the first All-American Masters 1000 semi-final in 15 years to book the fifth, and most important, ATP final of his career. Russia's Khachanov, seeded 11th, had lost two previous semi-finals in Canada. But he dug deep to advance, saving a match point as he levelled the deciding set at 6-6, with world number three Zverev hammering a backhand into the top tape of the net. The German committed 44 unforced errors in the nearly three-hour defeat while Khachanov had 29 winners and 34 unforced errors. "I had to work out this match, dig deep and try my best," Khachanov said. "It was very demanding physically and mentally. "We've had a lot of matches and I'm happy to beat him after losing some easy ones," added Khachanov, who fell to Zverev in the Tokyo Olympic singles final. "Today was a tough one – I was match point down. I'm just happy things went on my side at the end." Khachanov will be playing his first final of the season after semi-final defeats in Barcelona and Halle. Shelton and Fritz had to wait out a brief delay when a problem with the electronic line calling system emerged as they took the court. But that was barely a blip for 22-year-old Shelton, the world number seven, who had beaten Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals and with the win over Fritz notched his first back-to-back victories over top 10 opponents. US Open finalist Fritz had to save four break points in the third game of the match and was broken in the ninth game to leave Shelton to serve for the set. Shelton seized a second break for a 3-2 lead in the second, landing a perfect lob over Fritz's head and held at love for a 5-3 lead. He closed out the masterclass in with another break, Fritz mangling his racquet over his knee after he double faulted on match point. "I'm happy with my level and how I executed," Shelton said. "I've seen so many big improvements in my game this week. That's what I'm most happy about, how I'm executing, how little I'm hesitating." (AFP)
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
2025 World Games: Lau and Sham to carry Hong Kong flag at opening ceremony in Chengdu
This year's World Games in Chengdu are expected to open on Thursday with a dazzling display of fireworks, drones and featuring the pandas that give the city its name. And Alex Lau Tsz-kwan and Lydia Sham Hiu-yu, who compete in squash and wushu respectively, will serve as Hong Kong's flag bearers at the ceremony at the Tianfu International Convention Centre, an honour officials said marked their 'remarkable achievements in international competition'. Lau claimed the men's singles title at the 23rd Asian Squash Individual Championships held in Malaysia this June, becoming just the third Hong Kong athlete to win a gold in the event. 'It is an incredible honour to be the flag bearer,' he said. 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I will do my best to showcase the spirit of the team.' Sham, meanwhile, is carrying her city's flag for the second time, having previously done so at the Covid-delayed World University Games in Chengdu in 2023. Lydia Sham has already had the honour of being a flag bearer. Photo: Nora Tam 'To be the flag bearer again in the same city is truly a special experience,' said Sha, who won a medal of each colour at the third Taolu World Cup in Japan last October.
