Anders Antonsen had to dig deep to end Lee Zii Jia’s run at the Arctic Open badminton championships, but the Dane’s victory came with a heartfelt message for his close friend.
Antonsen prevailed 21-11 15-21 21-16 in a 78-minute encounter, overcoming a second-game wobble to set up the men’s singles final against Yushi Tanaka, who earlier secured his place with a 21-14 11-21 21-16 victory over compatriot Koki Watanabe.
“It was a tricky one, an emotional rollercoaster ride,” Antonsen said. “I played well in the first game. In the second, it frustrated me that all of a sudden that good feeling just went away.”
The turning point came before the decider, when Antonsen’s coach delivered a blunt message.
“He told me the truth. Man up, stop feeling sorry for yourself and fight your socks off. And that was what I did in the third game.”
The victory carried an emotional dimension – Antonsen and Zii Jia are close friends away from competition.
“But we also understand when it’s time to play, it’s time to play,” Antonsen said. “Friendship is put aside for a little while, then we are okay right after.”
For Zii Jia, the defeat did little to diminish an encouraging week. Starting in qualifying, the Malaysian built momentum with every match, rediscovering belief in his game while offering encouraging signs of a possible turnaround in his career.
“So many positive things at this tournament,” he said. “Match by match I gained a lot of confidence, especially today against one of my best friends.”
The post-match exchange meant as much to Lee as the badminton itself.
“He said ‘welcome back’ and I responded ‘I hope so’. He immediately told me not to doubt myself. That means a lot. Especially after all the struggles. I hope this time is a great comeback for me.”
Antonsen expressed delight at seeing his friend back competing at a high level.
“He did a fantastic tournament. Very happy to play him again.”
In the morning, Antonsen’s compatriot Mia Blichfeldt delivered an emphatic performance, sweeping past Nozomi Okuhara 21-11 21-7 to reach her first final since winning the HYLO Open in October last year. She faces top seed Ratchanok Intanon, who recovered from a game down to beat Line Christophersen 17-21 21-10 21-13 and deny an all-Danish title match.
Meanwhile, Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King defeated Christian Faust Kjaer/Rasmus Kjaer 21-14 21-16 to make the men’s doubles final at their first tournament together. The Malaysians will take on Lai Po Yu/Tsai Fu Cheng for the crown.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles: Yushi Tanaka (Jpn) bt Koki Watanabe (Jpn) 21-14, 11-21, 21-16; Anders Antonsen (Den) bt Lee Zii Jia (Mas) 21-11, 15-21, 21-16
Men’s doubles: Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King (Mas) bt Christian Faust Kjaer-Rasmus Kjaer (Den) 21-14, 21-16; Lai Po Yu-Tsai Fu Cheng (Tpe) bt Julien Maio-William Villeger (Fra) 21-15, 19-21, 21-13
Women’s singles: Mia Blichfeldt (Den) bt Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) 21-11, 21-7; Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) bt Line Christophersen (Den) 17-21, 21-10, 21-13
Women’s doubles: Chen Fan Shutian-Luo Xumin (Chn) bt Hsu Ya Ching-Sung Yu-Hsuan (Tpe) 21-14, 21-19; Hsu Yin-Hui-Lin Jhih Yun (Tpe) bt Bao Lijing-Cao Zihan (Chn) 17-21, 21-14, 21-18
Mixed doubles: Gao Jiaxuan-Wu Mengying (Chn) bt Liu Kuang Heng-Hsu Yin-Hui (Tpe) 21-11, 21-14; Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin (Chn) bt Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (Chn) 21-18, 21-17
