There will be no Danish representation in the men's singles final of the China Masters badminton tournament. Anders Antonsen was the clear favorite in his semifinal against Jason Gunawan of Hong Kong but lost in three sets: 21-15, 20-22, 16-21.
Consequently, the final will be an all-Hong Kong affair. Gunawan will face his compatriot Lee Cheuk Yiu in a surprise showdown between the World No 32 and 25.
The 22-year-old Gunawan appears to be playing the best tournament of his young career; he coolly capitalized every time the more experienced Dane faltered. Antonsen will rue the costly errors he made at crucial moments in the third set.
Initially, the match seemed to be going according to plan. After a shaky start—during which Gunawan was allowed to showcase his smashing power—Antonsen gained a tactical foothold in the match.
Trailing 1–6, the Dane stepped further up the court, allowing him to reach the net faster and avoid playing the lifts Gunawan was hoping for.
Antonsen pulled ahead 11–8 before his Hong Kong opponent fought back to level the score at 14–14.
However, another Danish run—this time of six consecutive points—decided the set shortly thereafter.
In the second set, it was Gunawan who took the lead, surging 9–4 ahead with an early seven-point run. Antonsen struggled to find the right answers, leading to significant errors from his racket.
Antonsen showed flashes of good play and nearly clawed his way back into contention against Gunawan, but success only came at the very end. He managed to tie the score at 19–19, but after saving one set point, he could go no further. Gunawan now had the upper hand and believed he could pull off an upset. He built a solid lead and remained unfazed when Antonsen strung together short runs of points.
Antonsen had a chance to level the score at 17-17 but made a poor decision at the net and slammed his racket into the floor in frustration. That proved to be his final stand in an entertaining semifinal.