Denmark's top male badminton player, Anders Antonsen, was in deep trouble but still managed to get off to a good start at the Denmark Open in Odense.
In the first round of the Danish Super 750 tournament, the Aarhus native defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong 16-21, 21-11, 21-18 on Wednesday afternoon.
In the first set of Wednesday's match, Anders Antonsen was a step behind from the start against Lee Cheuk Yiu, who caused the Dane particular trouble at the net.
Throughout the first set, Antonsen also engaged in several arguments with the umpire; much to the Dane's frustration, the official refused, among other things, his requests to change the shuttle and have the floor wiped down.
Suddenly, however, Antonsen found his rhythm. He increased the pace and served better. This caught Lee Cheuk Yiu off guard, and Antonsen managed to level the score at 16-16. But then the Dane slowed the pace down again, and Lee went on to win the set.
Antonsen immediately stepped up his game in the second set, while Lee Cheuk Yiu suddenly fell far short of the level he had displayed in the first.
Antonsen was in command, moving the Hong Kong player all over the court; Lee made poor decisions and committed several uncharacteristic errors. By the end of the set, the Aarhus native was clearly dominant, setting the stage for a thrilling third set. And once again, Anders Antonsen found himself under pressure.
The Dane appeared somewhat drained of energy early on and once again allowed Lee Cheuk Yiu to dictate play at the front of the court. Antonsen couldn't keep up in that area and fell behind 7–10.
However, the Dane regained his composure and began moving the Hong Kong player all around the court again. It proved effective, and as Lee tired, Antonsen ultimately came out on top.