Last week we saw the belated finals of the 2020 Badminton season – otherwise known as the World Tour Finals. Antonsen came away as Champion World Tour Finals 2020 edition. Given Viktor Axelsen’s amazing form recently, there were many who would have bet he would make it three out of three in Thailand. However, it wasn’t to be as compatriot Anders Antonsen defeated him in the finals – somewhat contentiously.
What Happened?
There’s no doubt that in the first game and third game, he outplayed Viktor Axelsen. If these were the only two games in the match then Antonsen certainly was the more dominant of the two.
However, it was the second game which was where the controversy occurred. Having just won the first game 21-16 he lost the next game 21-5. And it wasn’t because Viktor Axelsen was dominant, Antonsen threw the game, quite obviously. He even admitted it in a post-match interview with Danish Media outlet TV2.
What’s The Problem?
Now I’m not a Viktor Axelsen fanboy crying about how Viktor lost. But I do feel like the way he lost was a bit unfair, not to Viktor – but to the spectators. This damages the sport as well. Not that this kind of thing happens too often but there are definitely potential negative connotations.
On one side of the coin, one could argue that Antonsen was simply playing tactically. He went into the match knowing his limitations and his opponent very well. Therefore he planned his game strategy and executed it flawlessly – clearly affecting his opponent. His superior tactical awareness was his key to the gold medal. We have seen other players adopt this strategy in the past but perhaps not as honest as this.
On the other side of the coin, this could be considered completely unsportsmanlike. This is the biggest event at the end of the season. Therefore fans expect that every match would highly contested – particularly the finals. To play in such a way seems almost insulting to the fans who want to watch these athletes perform their best.
But no matter whether you believe he was a tactical genius or unsportsmanlike, the fact is that he won. But herein lies the problem. The BWF need to be consistent in their application of rules. What’s the difference for example between the scandal of the Olympics in 2012 and the World Tour Final?
During the Olympics – four pairs were ejected from the tournament vs just the one player in this situation. But this shouldn’t matter. The fact is they were ejected following a BWF review for “not using best efforts” and “conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport.” Now the second charge might be a bit extreme in Antonsen’s case, but the first is certainly applicable.
Secondly, there was an audience at the Olympics. Spectators who were visibly and audibly upset at the performance of the women’s double’s pairs throwing their games. Perhaps a lack of an audience in Thailand meant that the frustrations of the viewers were not clearly heard. Again whether the audience was there or not should be relevant.
Did He Deserve The Title?
In short, yes. He got the better of Viktor Axelsen on the day in the first and third game. While his strategy was unconventional, it was well thought out and he clearly knew how to take on his fellow countryman. So Antonsen does deserve praise for his performance and even more for his tactical awareness.
The problem does not arise from Antonsen. It arises from BWF. If they want to maintain their authority they need to ensure that the rules are applied consistently. If not, it sets a precedent for this to continue in the future which could potentially harm the sport in the long run.
What a pile of horseshit. The match showed a clear case of Viktor being nervous and having too many unforced errors. On top of that Anders played, as you already said, the perfect strategy and executed it flawlessly. If you don’t have the stamina to play 3 full sets and you play conservatively in the second, that doesn’t mean you’re not doing your best. He’s actually doing his best to win the match, the way his body allows it. The difference in this case is that both players were trying to win, which is exciting to see. Viktor fighting his nervousness and showing his anger. Anders being in a terrible physical form and but then using his stategic prowess to win the match. In that ladies doubles both pairs were deliberately losing to get a better draw. They weren’t even playing.