Axelsen may face yet another Malaysian jinx in Japan

KUALA LUMPUR: Can another Malaysian spoil the party for Denmark’s rising star Viktor Axelsen for the third consecutive week?
If everything goes according to the formbook, top national junior Soong Joo Ven could very well be the guy to do it – he’s drawn to take on Axelsen in the semi-finals of the boys’ singles individual event in the World Junior Championships in Chiba, Japan.
The individual events begin today.
In the draw released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) yesterday, joint third-fourth seed Joo Ven is in the same half as top seed Axelsen.
In the last two weeks, the 19-year-old Axelsen has lost to two Malaysian shuttlers. He lost 8-21, 18-21 in the opening round of the Denmark Open at his birth place – Odense – to world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei two weeks ago.
On Sunday, the lanky Danish shuttler was made to eat humble pie by Liew Daren in the French Open final in Paris.
Malaysia’s national junior programme manager Hau Kim Tho said that fatigue could derail Axelsen’s bid for his second world junior title.
“Viktor has raised his game since winning the 2010 world junior title and will be the favourite. However, there could be added pressure on him as he has already made his mark at the senior level,” said Kim Tho.
Axelsen showed that he is the future for Denmark and an able replacement for Peter-Gade Christensen when he became his country’s first world junior champion in 2010. Last year, however, he lost to Zulfadli Zulkifli in the final.
“He has also been playing in back-to-back European tournaments, so I’m not sure if he is physically ready for his third consecutive tournament,” said Kim Tho.
“Besides Viktor, Japan’s Kento Momota is another player capable of winning the world junior title. The shuttlers from China, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand may not be highly ranked but they cannot be underestimated either.
“They do not compete in many international tournaments, so we do not know their strength.”
Axelsen will have to be in a tip-top shape as he has to play four rounds before he can reach the last eight of the 128-player boys’ singles event.
He faces tricky ties against China’s Xue Song, Malaysia’s Tan Kian Meng and India’s Rohit Yadav in his quarter.
In Asian junior runner-up Joo Ven’s quarter are Thailand’s Thammasin Sittikom and Indonesia’s Akbar Panji – both tough customers.
Second seed and reigning Asian junior champion Kento Momota of Japan is in the lower half with Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long, Thailand’s Khosit Phetpradab and Malaysia’s Soo Teck Zhi.
Malaysia will be hard-pressed for podium finishes in the other events, although the likes of Tan Wee Gieen-Tai An Khang, Darren Isac Devadass-Ong Yew Sin (boys’ doubles); Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yeah (girls’ doubles); and Wee Gieen-Mei Kuan (mixed doubles) could defy the odds in the prestigious event.