Axelsen wins first All England badminton title

COPENHAGEN - Viktor Axelsen won his first All England badminton tournament following a straight-set 21-13, 21-14 victory over Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien-chen at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on Sunday.

"I'm a sensitive guy. If you are not thrilled to stand here in an All England final in front of such an audience, then you are not a human being," said a tearful Axelsen following his triumph.

On paper, Chou Tien-chen, the tournaments number one seed, was the favorite but the second-seeded Dane had won nine out of their past 11 encounters.

Axelsen won the first set by controlling play with very few unforced errors and tsunami of smashes that wrong-footed his hapless opponent.

In the second set, Chou desperately needed to get back in the game but the Dane's continued control was not eased.

It was the second year in a row that the Dane appeared in the All England Final.