Ouseph beaten by Axelsen at Danish Open

Rajiv Ouseph

Rajiv Ouseph found world number seven Viktor Axelsen just too good in the first round of the Danish Open.

The Feltham star, ranked 15 places below Axelsen, pushed the home favourite hard in his own backyard before losing 21-17 21-19.

Ouseph was never ahead in either game but kept 21-year-old Axelsen within touching distance before the Dane closed things out.

In the first game, Ouseph was behind at 11-4 and 18-12 but a run of five straight points pulled it back to 18-17, only for Axelsen to clinch it by winning the next three points.

It was a similar pattern in the second game, as the sixth seed opened up an 8-1 lead before Ouseph gradually chipped away.

He managed to get to within a point of Axelsen, but the Dane engineered a match point which he took at the first time of asking.