In a jaw-dropping upset at the BWF China Open, world No. 28 Lei Lanxi toppled two-time Olympic gold medalist Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in a thrilling three-game showdown!
The underdog Chinese player snatched the first game 21-19 before Axelsen—the reigning Tokyo and Paris Olympic champ—leveled the score with a 21-17 comeback.
But Lei turned up the heat in the decider, dominating with aggressive smashes to seal victory 21-16. This marks Lei's FIRST-EVER win over the badminton legend!
Next up: Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in Round 2.
Meanwhile, China’s Li Shifeng fell to Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen in another nail-biter, proving this tournament is full of surprises. More action coming as the Changzhou event heats up!
Reference(s):
BWF China Open: Lei Lanxi stuns Axelsen, Li Shifeng loses to Chou
cgtn.com