Axelsen emerges victor against Chong Wei in Japan Open final

Lee Chong Wei was unable to defend his Japan Open title after losing to world champion Viktor Axelsen in the final on Sunday.

The six-time Japan Open winner lost 14-21, 21-19, 14-21 in 75 minutes, which was only his second defeat to the Dane in 11 meetings — the first one came in last year's Dubai World Superseries Finals.

Although Lee managed to capture the second set in a close game, he was overwhelmed in the first and third sets.

Axelsen led from start to finish in the first set, while the third set saw him cruise to a 15-4 lead in no time.

When the score reached the match point, Lee tried to mount a late comeback with several consecutive points to make it 14-20, but Axelsen kept his cool to seal his first Japan Open title.