The presence of European players in the early rounds of the TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2023 was prominent.
Regrettably, a few players have already concluded their World Championships campaign rather quickly.
But don’t turn off your screens just yet. Some good results are still to be seen.
The Danes remain strong in the competition, with four out of five players/pairs achieving victories today. Among them, Viktor Axelsen who in a much anticipated yet one-sided performance, defeated Christo Popov with a final score of 21-6, 21-8. Axelsen shared his thoughts post-match (BWF):
“I’m really really satisfied with my performance today. When I looked at the draw I knew this could be a tough one, however I came out with great energy, great control. Today I really showed a high level. To be able to beat a player like Christo, with such a comfortable score is a big win for me. He’s a really talented player and the last few matches against each other have been tough so all in all I’m really happy”.
On the other side, Christo expressed disappointment:
“Obviously it’s not physical, I felt great in my legs but just so many easy mistakes… I tried to make the most of it but it was really not enough”.
He will now redirect his focus towards his men's doubles campaign alongside his brother Toma Junior Popov.
Recent European Games gold medalist and 3x world champion, Carolina Marin, will also set her Championships campaign underway tomorrow as she faces American, Iris Wang, in the round of 32.
Stay tuned, as day 3 promises an engaging lineup of matches.