bwf-world-championship-finals-2017

He becomes only the third Danish player to become the World Champion. 

Viktok Axelsen has done it. He has beaten Lin Dan in straight sets of 22-20, 21-16.

Next game up is Men's singles, one of the most awaited matches of the day. Legendary six-time finalist Lin Dan is taking on Danish star Viktor Axelsen now.

Axelsen has been mighty impressive in the tournament so far and he will not leave a stone unturned to give the Chinese a tough run for the money.

Even though Okuhara will hog the headlines tomorrow for becoming the first Japanese player in 40 years to win a medal, the first for a woman in a single's event, India have made history as well. Sindhu's silver and Saina's bronze is the best ever tally that India has ever been able to produce at the World Championship.

Now that I have caught my breath, let's put the tournament into perspective. 

Read the full report here.

UNFORTUNATELY, IN EVERY SPORT, THERE HAS TO BE A WINNER AND A LOSER. BUT IF BADMINTON IN INDIA NEEDED A BOOST, THIS WAS IT. WHAT A GAME IT WAS!

IT'S ALL OVER.....OKUHARA GETS THE POINT....WHAT A MATCH....WHAT A FINAL....THIS HAS GOT TO GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE BEST MATCHES IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY.

Sindhu misses a drop shot. CHAMPIONSHIP POINT NUMBER TWO FOR OKUHARA

SHE IS BACK!!! Okuhara misjudges a long drive and the game gows on!! This is easily the best game of the tournament so far.

Sindhu misses at the net. MATCH POINT OKUHARA!!

IMPORTANT POINT THIS!!!

THIS IS MADNESS...SHEER AND UTTER MADNESS.... WE ARE LEVEL AGAIN.

Sindhu hits the shuttle that was at least four inches wide and ends up losing the point courtesy a drop shot. Sindhu is on her knees and the umpire has to intervene.

SINDHU TAKES A TWO-POINT LEAD... SHE IS NOW JUST TWO POINTS AWAY FROM A MAIDEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE.

Sindhu takes the lead again at the net. Even Okuhara's exceptional reach is not enough to get to the shuttle.

Sindhu takes the lead but Okuhara comes up with a down the line winner to level things up again.

A brilliant drop by Okuhara levels the game again. The point leaves Sindhu on her knees. It is exhausting just watching them. Can't even imagine what it would be like for the players?

Just as I type that, Sindhu comes up with three back-to-back smashes. The last one is not matched by Okuhara. Sindhu takes the lead.

Both players exchange two points as the scores are levelled again. No player wants to waste any energy on a smash as they try to conserve their energy.

AND WE ARE LEVEL AGAIN!! This is astonishing!!

Bad hit by Sindhu. The shuttle was going wide and she hits it into the net. 

Sindhu levels the game!! Both players look like they have run a marathon. The result will now go to the player who wants it more!!

Sindhu is warned and given a card for time wasting. She then fails to return a serve as Okuhara takes the lead. 

Both players drop to their knees after Sindhu wins a long rally. Both players are visibly struggling now. Sindhu lets the shuttle drop and challenges. The replays show she was wrong. Level again.

Okuhara reduces the gap to just one with a body smash before leveling the game up with back to back drop shots till Sindhu's legs gave way.

Sindhu has led, at the midway point, in every game so far. But can she keep her calm now??

Sindhu wins the next point but it's her reaction that is interesting. It is like an angry grunt-cum-shout. And she wins another one to go into the break with a two point lead.

IT'S LEVEL AGAIN!! Sindhu hits the shuttle into the net. Now she gets into an argument with the chair umpire. She is long control of her emotions.

But Okuhara comes back with a smash of her own to reduce the deficit to just ONE point.

A powerful down the line smash by Sindhu is too hot to handle for Okuhara. Sindhu for the first time in the decider takes a two-point lead.

Sindhu finally takes the lead after an Okuhara back hand error.

Another long rally. But this time Sindhu comes out on the top. Level again.

A terrific drop shot by Sindhu levels the game but Okuhara retakes the lead as the Indian hits the net again.

Terrible miss by Sindhu. That point was there for the taking. She hits a down the line smash right at the net. 

We are level again. Great play at the net by Sindhu. Okuhara goes a couple of inches over the tape and a second later feels the shuttle hit her body. 

Great deception by Sindhu gets her back into the game. Okuhara looks lost here. What a match this has been. Still anybody's game!!

A down the line winner reduces the deficit to just TWO. 

YET ANOTHER GREAT INSTINCTIVE SHOT BY SINDHU. HOW DOES SHE COME UP WITH THESE??? 

Sindhu is falling apart here as she hits a drive long. 

A down the line smash by Okuhara is followed up by a drop shot winner towards Sindhu's backhand court. 

Brilliant pickup by Okuhara to stay in the game and she then follows it up with an inch perfect drop. 

And she takes the first point. But Okuhara levels the game on the next point.

Sindhu will get us started in the decider.

At the end Sindhu finds herself on the ropes as Okuhara is coming up with all the big shots. But somehow Sindhu stays in the game and a smash from Okuhara that looks destined to hit the ground is somehow converted into a perfect drop shot by Sindhu.

WHAT A RALLY!! WHAT A MATCH!! GAME ON!!!

Extraordinary!!! Astonishing!! There are no words to describe this 73, yes SEVENTY THREE, point rally. SINDHU LEVELS THE MATCH!!

Exceptional return from Sindhu. Game point number FOUR. 

Another deflection off the net. This is insane. What will this do to Sindhu mentally. Three game points gone.

Okuhara gets lucky with a deflection off the tape as Sindhu can't keep it in. 

Okuhara saves one point. Still two game points for Sindhu. 

Okuhara misses a net shot as Sindhu retakes the two-point lead. Another unforced error from Sindhu brings up three game point opportunities. 

Another high tempo rally goes Okuhara's way. Sindhu has to ensure she doen't get dragged into such rallies.

WHAT AN EXCEPTIONAL RALLY BY SINDHU!! She drags her opponent all across the court before coming up with a well hit winner. 

IT'S A ONE-POINT GAME NOW!!! An error forced by Okuhara off a cross court smash puts the game in a very interesting position.

Now, it's Okuhara's turn to do the Marin scream after she wins a quick point. 

Sindhu gets lucky as the shuttle is deflected off the tape and Okuhara can't keep it in action.

Excellent play all around. Not it's Sindhu's turn to defend but two back to back smashes do the job for the Japanese. 

Okuhara comes up with three incredible returns before hilariously missing the shuttle at the end of a 43-shot rally. She looks to be tiring now. But can Sindhu close the game now?

SHE HAS DONE IT AGAIN. Okuhara's coaches complain that Sindhu hit the shuttle twice, but replays show what an incredible shot it was by the Indian. And she takes another point as Okuhara can't clear the tape.

Sindhu misses a hairpin shot but comes up with a massive smash to keep the scores level.

A wide drive by Sindhu levels the game again. Sindhu has to make sure Okuhara is not allowed to control the tempo now. 

Okuhara takes two back to back points to reduce the deficit to just one point. The second point was challenged by Sindhu. Terrible challenge as the shuttle caught the middle of the line.

WHAT A SHOT!!!! PURE REFLEX!!! After the two exchange a couple of quick net points, Okuhara pushes a shot long. Instinctively, Sindhu puts put her racquet and manages to come up with the winner. WOW.

A misjudged leave by Sindhu reduces the gap to two points.

Sindhu retakes a commanding lead again thanks to two unforced errors from Okuhara. Sindhu is given a warning for taking too long in getting back onto the court.

The Japanese is building up momentum again and Sindhu seems to have lost her cool again. 

Okuhara is fighting back here. After a body smash from the Japanese, the Indian hits a drive long. 

Sindhu brilliantly retreives a smash but is unable to get to her feet quickly enough to pick the return as well.

Okuhara is reeling here as Sindhu closes in for the kill. SIX-point game now. 

The duo exchange another couple of points. Sindhu is now all pumped up and is celebrating every point in "Marin-style".

The 22-year-old Indian misjudges a long drive by Okuhara who takes her second point of the game. But commits another error on the next point to hand Sindhu the initiative.

Sindhu has started brilliantly here and is forcing Okuhara to commit unecessary errors. FOUR point lead.

A lazy shot by Sindhu is returned with venom by Okuhara. However, the Japanese messes up a net point as Sindhu begins to take control early in the second.

Another unforced error by the Japanese doubles Sindhu's lead. 

We start again but this time it's Okuhara who will serve first. Sindhu takes the first point as Okuhara's shot is wide of the sideline.

A lot of positives from the game for Sindhu. She just needs to keep her nerves and play her natural game. Okuhara's run came about after she started controlling the tempo of her play.

Sindhu absolutely dominates the rally but Okuhara's monster defence keeps the latter in the point. It ends with Sindhu producing yet another unforced error. 1-0 Okuhara.

An unforced error by Sindhu hands Okuhara te first game point of the match.

Great deception by Okuhara but her drive is long. Sindhu cannot help but shout in excitement. LEVEL again.

Still anybody's game this!!

Okuhara comes up with an insde-out drop shot to release the pressure. She leads by one now.

IT'S LEVEL AGAIN. WHAT A GAME THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE!!

Now Sindhu wins a point at the net. Important point that. It's a ONE point game again. 

SHE GETS TWO POINTS BACK. Sindhu trying to claw her way back into the game. 

Sindhu needs to increase the length of the rallies. Yet another point for the Japanese.

Another two points to the Japanese. Sindhu is trying to up the tempo but Okuhara is in the zone now. 

Another unforced error brings the score level. The momentum has shifted completely . Now Sindhu misses the line by three or four inches.

Sindhu is beginning to show some nerves here. She misses a smash at the net and follows it up by missing a drop at almost the same spot. ONE point game.

A miscalculated net point by Sindhu reduces the deficit to just one. But Okuhara makes the same error on the next point to restore the three point gap.

Okuhara fights back by forcing the issue by taking three quick points. She has suddenly upped the tempo and it's Sindhu who is struggling to keep up with the pace now.

Sindhu has had enough. She again goes long before coming up with a perfect drop shot to end Okuhara's winning run at 2.

Finally, Okuhara is able to take a point off the Indian as the latter hits her drive long. The Japanese follows it up with a smash down the line to reduce the deficit to four. 

The performance is reminiscent of the display we saw in the previous two rounds. Sindhu just has to keep her head and try not to force the issue here.

It's Okuhara's turn to feel the nerves as she misjudges a Sindhu drive before hitting one of her own long. Sindhu goes into the break with a six-point lead.

A great drive down the line is followed by a quick drop shot as Sindhu now takes a three-point lead.

Now Sindhu fights back by forcing two back to back errors from the Okuhara to level things up before coming up with a cross court smash, at the end of 23-point rally, to take the lead again.

A service error from Sindhu is compounded by a brilliant net point by Okuhara as the latter takes a two-point lead - the first of the game.

A simple push down the line on her forehand leaves Sindhu flat footed but not it is the Indian's turn to place a cross court push right on the line.

Okuhara tried to go for a cross court smash but can't cross the tape. She can, however, come up with a perfect drop shot that is a step too far for Sindhu. 

It's Okuhara who takes the first point of the game as Sindhu hits her drive long on Okuhara's backhand side. But Sindhu brings it back as Okuhara misjudges a similar shot

Sindhu will serve first.