Although Axelsen fought with everything he had, there was no more gas left in the tank in the end. Antonsen won 21-15, 17-21, 21-12 after almost 90 minutes of badminton.
It was not long ago that Axelsen came back after a half-year break due to a back injury. And as the match progressed, it was clear that he still lacks the final physical percentages.
From the start of a very intense thriller, it was clear to see that these two players know each other well. This resulted in several long duels, in which neither of the two dared to expose themselves but waited for the other to make a mistake.
Trailing 3-4, Axelsen sent the shuttlecock down close to the back line after a long duel. Initially, the linesman called it in, but a challenge from Antonsen changed that. That point was a small kick-start for a good period for Antonsen.
Axelsen found it difficult to break down Antonsen's defense, and at the same time, struggled to find the lines that gave Antonsen an 11-6 lead at the break, and Axelsen never recovered from that in the first set.
In the second set, Axelsen seemed more rigid in his movements, while Antonsen continued to cover his entire half of the court impressively.
From 7-7, Antonsen won four successive points to build a comfortable gap. To stay in the match, Axelsen tried to drag out the pace. It worked, and when Antonsen also made a few mistakes, Axelsen restored parity at 16-16.
Axelsen's mobility was still hampered, but he fought impressively, and at the first opportunity, he forced a third and decisive set when Antonsen narrowly missed the line.
In the third set, Antonsen had far more air left in his lungs, while the gas ran out of Axelsen. In the end, the match fizzled completely out as Antonsen cruised into the semi-final.