Danish badminton player Anders Antonsen on Saturday reached the final of the Arctic Open tournament in Finland.
In the semifinal, Antonsen’s performance fluctuated between world-class level and the exact opposite; however, the Dane ultimately defeated Malaysian star Lee Zii Jia 21-11, 15-21, 21-16.
Lee Zii Jia was considered one of the world's best players until 2024, but persistent injuries have prevented him from finding consistency over the past few years. The 2021 All England champion and 2024 Olympic bronze medalist is currently ranked No. 56 in the world.
In Finland, he showed glimpses of his old self by outplaying World Nr. 2 Christo Popov in the quarter-final, though he faced a tougher challenge early in the semifinal.
Antonsen took command of the game early on with immense authority, leaving Lee Zii Jia unable to keep up. The Dane surged to a 13-4 lead by delicately placing the shuttlecock right on the line on numerous occasions.
Lee Zii Jia managed to get more into the match, but Antonsen remained solid in every aspect of his play, comfortably closing out the set 21-11.
When Antonsen took a 4-0 lead in the second set, it looked like a straightforward affair, but suddenly the Dane began making errors, moving more slowly and fell behind 16-16. The set was slipping away from Antonsen, Lee Zii Jia sensed an opportunity and went on to win the set 21-15.
Fortunately for Antonsen, he managed to clear his head between the second and third set. He started the third set with a better mindset and pulled ahead 9–2 and later 11-5.
The Dane appeared to have the most energy left as the finish line approached; he smashed his way to 18–13 and, shortly after, converted his first match point.
Waiting in the final is World No. 18 Yushi Tanaka of Japan, who defeated World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the quarter-final.