Chen Long though five years older than VA has more or less the same physical characteristics to match and they play a similar game, it all boils down to who is in better form that day. Kento Momota adopts a different strategy against VA as Metaphysician pointed out correctly. As for K Srikanth, I'm afraid his attacking prowess and defensive ability are not as good as VA's now, which means, imho, he has to tweak his game to deal with VA next time.
We have to consider this. Victor Axelsen of the PAST was beaten by Kento Momota of the PAST. We have to see whether Kento Momota of the PRESENT is able to beat Victor of the PRESENT. There is a huge difference. Let's wait and see what Kento has to say.
The problem is LCW is not as flexible nor adaptable as Lin Dan to transform his game too much. It gets harder at his current age , 35 now, unlike Lin Dan who started about four years ago at 30 , as witnessed during the Guangzhou WC 2013. Still, LCW has to make some significant changes to his game as he ages or else he's likely to struggle or suffer the same fate against those strapping young men who play a very physical game with speed and aggression, not only VA but others like Wang Tzu Wei, Kanta Tsuneyama, Khosit Phetpradab, and a few others.
Attacking prowess wise both are about equal..... But if we see the rallies in the recent QF in Japan whichever rallies either attacked ...the one who attacked won..but generally KS took longer to win coz VA's defense is simply now at a different level thanks to Kenneth and his battles with the top players stretching him to his limits.Srikanth needs to improve his netplay and deceptions and be more brave at crucial points as defensively he may not have the resources at his disposal unless he learns from his peers at international level ... But i honestly i feel if he improves his attacking game more ,he can have same impact zhao jianhua and LD and Heryanto arbi in terms of deceptions coz his deceptive smashes are that good from the back of the court.
On a seperate note 2018 has 2 back to back chances at super glory with WC and Asian Games around the month of August
Actually, they're not equal (assuming deception is not a criteria). Srikanth attacks a lot and has a good smash. But if the taller player has no problems jumping and can generate equal power in the smash, the taller player always has the better attack because of the angle. This also applies to drop shots if the taller player has no problem jumping. Viktor Axelsen has one of the deadliest singles attack because of his height and because his power is good enough for smashes. HIs smashes have the most angle among the top singles players. Chen Long would be comparable to Viktor but I don't notice Chen Long getting as much height when he jumps. Simply compare how Son Wan Ho defends Srikanth vs Son Wan Ho defending Viktor. Son Wan Ho had few problems defending Srikanth in the WC. However, Son Wan Ho has difficulty returning Viktor's smashes because of the angle. Same with LD, and same with LCW today. Srikanth can still beat Viktor though. Srikanth just needs to keep Viktor defending, control the net, and never lift short to Viktor. Also, Viktor has stamina issues. While Viktor has made improvements to his accuracy, consistency, and defense, I think his stamina is his biggest weakness.
An equal distribution of the titles despite Japan having 3 finalists on home ground. It more or less confirms that China is no longer dominant in both MS and WS. And it took the last MS match to create more interest between young VA and veteran LCM that lasted more than an hour. MS Viktor AXELSEN [3] [DEN] - [MAS] LEE Chong Wei [5] 21-14 19-21 21-14 1:15
Nanjing, China for the World Championships and The Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, two weeks apart, and no travelling long-distance across too many timezones for most Asians. For the Asian Games, practically all the world's top 10 players will be in attendance, with the exception of VA in MS based on current world ranking. It's Asia's Olympics. Atm, I can safely say we can expect both Lin Dan and Lee CW to participate in the two major events next year.
VA has improved his accuracy, consistency, and defense. And most importantly, VA has improved his mental toughness. That's why he's a top 3 player today and a legitimate threat to LD, Chen Long, and LCW. However, VA can still be beat. I think VA's biggest weakness is his stamina. Again in the 3rd set today, he looked tired and his movement started to really slow down. The difference this time is that LCW is almost 35 years old and LCW was tired himself. In a 3rd set situation against a younger player with stamina, I don't see Viktor getting away with this. For instance, if Viktor played Srikanth or Momota in a 3rd set, I think Viktor could be in trouble. It's odd that Viktor could have so many stamina issues at 23 years of age. I hope he is able to work through his stamina issues. Lack of fitness and stamina is what ended Taufik's career early. Hope that VA can last for many years because for his height, he is an extremely talented player.
In the space of 2 months VA almost evry top 10 player at the highest stage. WC-Ng Ka Long,Chou Tien Chen,Chen Long,Lin Dan Japan-Kidambi Srikanth,Son Wan Ho and Lee Chong Wei.
Apart from MS Final, the rest of categories are just anti-climax today.. one way direction and too light..
Exactly. This feat makes him the best MS player in the world at the moment. Hands down Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
but it's improving every tournament. i believe viktor is still 2 years from peaking. yikes! http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for.../2017-predictions-thread.168943/#post-2535938 ... i'm doing pretty good so far. oh, and auntie fox... http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/index.php?threads/2017-predictions-thread.168943/ ... nailed it!
So sad for LCW. He is turning 35 next month. His reign in winning SS is now over. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
On the contrary, I feel that LCW has done really well for this tournament and throughout his career, who's to say he won't win another SS again. As long as he still has the desire to compete, LD and LCW both still possess enough skills and stamina to make it count. Take nothing away from VA, he played an excellent finals to deserve winning both the WC and this competition.
