Viktor Axelsen stood at match point in his hometown, the weight of eight months pressing against his chest in the VICTOR Denmark Open 2025 quarterfinal.

When Kunlavut Vitidsarn’s shuttle fell wide, the two-time world champion’s reaction said everything – raw emotion, relief and something deeper. The rekindling of belief in himself.

“I can’t describe how much it means to me,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight it carried when the Dane sunk to his knees and cried a few minutes earlier. “My career didn’t depend on this match but it somehow does,” he added of his emotional moment.

It was the first meeting between the shuttlers since their Paris 2024 Olympic final. For Axelsen, his 13-21 21-13 21-18 victory wasn’t just another quarterfinal win.

The last eight months have been the hardest test of his life. The 31-year-old underwent back surgery in April following his All England first round exit. In August, he withdrew from the World Championships in Paris on medical advice. And now, a return to the city where Denmark’s much-celebrated shuttler first picked up a racket.

But Odense has been unkind in recent years. Since his triumph over Kento Momota in 2021; eliminated in the quarterfinals by good friend Loh Kean Yew in 2022, walkover awarded to Lee Zii Jia in 2023, retirement from illness against Alex Lanier in 2024. For an athlete of his calibre, this was becoming unbearable, not just physically but psychologically.

Yet here he was, fighting through a tough test against a familiar opponent who refused to roll over. Vitidsarn pushed him relentlessly, forcing long rallies and hunting openings. Nearing match point and 19-18 up, even the home crowd got carried away, booing in his favour. Axelsen had to calm them with a small gesture that revealed his mental clarity go from chaos to calm.

“This has given me the belief I can still play with the best,” Axelsen reflected. “It’s hard to describe how much I needed this.”

Axelsen didn’t just beat Vitidsarn. He beat the version of himself that had begun to wonder if the scars would ever fully heal.

Tomorrow brings a semifinal matchup against Shi Yu Qi after the world champion conquered Christo Popov 19-21 21-19 21-19.

Asked what kind of match fans can expect, Axelsen said: “In my world, I’ve already won. I can play relaxed with my quarterfinal result. I had no expectations going this far.”

Lanier Lays Down Marker

In the first battle between former child prodigies, Alex Lanier came out 21-9 21-14 on top against Lakshya Sen, reaching the last four for a second successive edition.

“I don’t think the score reflects what happened during the rallies,” the 20-year-old Frenchman explained. “Physically and mentally, I was quite sharp and I’m proud of the way I’m playing.

“I’ve been on the (HSBC BWF) World Tour for a year and it’s extremely tough. I struggle physically and mentally sometimes but it’s normal.”

Lanier attributes his strategic thinking to online chess. He holds a rating of 2100, having peaked at 2150.

“You can be the best technically, if you don’t find a way strategically, you cannot win,” he noted. “There’s a lot of chess in badminton.”

Lanier will play Jonatan Christie in the semifinal.

→ Results (Quarterfinals)

→ Order of Play (Semifinals)

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“The Chinese weren’t at their best and I could see Tan struggling with her serve. We tried to take advantage of that. We’ve beaten the world champions and that’s a moment we are going to enjoy but we will prepare well for the semifinals.” – Mayu Matsumoto after she and Yuki Fukushima ousted top seeds Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning 15-21 21-15 21-15

“I was playing against the drift in the third game, I had a lead but Li was anticipating my shots. I had to change my strategy as he was catching up. It feels great to be in a semifinal in Denmark. I have great memories of playing at the 2021 Thomas Cup in Aarhus.” – Christie after beating Li Shi Feng in three games

“We played for 100 minutes? That’s crazy! There’s something in the air here. We paired up at the 2022 Denmark Open and I think that brings us luck.” – Baek Ha Na after she and Lee So Hee defeated defending champions Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi 21-23 21-18 21-16 in the longest match of the day