19–21, 21–17, 17–21 — those were the scores this evening as Viktor Axelsen was forced to leave the Denmark Open in the semifinals. It was a match that swung back and forth, filled with the nerves and intensity worthy of a Super 750 semifinal.

Although Axelsen was agonizingly close to securing a spot in the final on home soil, he did not hesitate to praise his opponent Shi Yu Qi after the match.

“A very tough game, Shi Yu Qi is a great champion, he plays amazingly. I believe that I had my chance in the first game. But I lost to a better player, I wish that I had taken that first game, but it wasn’t supposed to be today.”

Even though it ended in defeat, Axelsen takes a lot of positives with him from the Denmark Open.

“I think it has been very important for my career, I have managed to play at a very high level, I have managed to beat some great players, and it has given me the belief that I actually can compete with the best in the world.”

The next step on his road back to the top will be next week at the French Open.

The other European chance for a spot in the final came from Alex Lanier, who faced Jonathan Christie. It was, to put it mildly, a very fluctuating match, with the windy conditions in the arena making it difficult for either player to find a consistent rhythm. Christie handled the conditions better, and the Indonesian took the win 11–21, 21–8, 21–13.

Being able to perform at his top level under tough conditions is something Lanier also struggled with during the World Championships in Paris, and the young Frenchman admitted there are still things he needs to learn when facing such challenges.

“There are some shots that I need to improve, so technically I need to improve to handle these kinds of conditions. I think I am playing better with the drift now, but it is definitely not enough.”

Like Axelsen, Alex Lanier will continue his journey next week at the French Open.