2012 China Open: Daren Liew casts out Ajay Jayaram in opening round of Men’s Singles event
Malaysia’s Daren Liew employed all of his brilliance in the game and overpowered Ajay Jayaram in the opening round of Li Ning China Open on Wednesday, November 14, 2012.
This Men’s Singles match was played at the local badminton complex of Shanghai and both contenders remained busy on the court for 59 minutes.
However, the final figures of 21-18, 16-21 and 21-14 gave Daren Liew the right to be in the pre quarter-finals where he is expected to meet Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark.
In his first round match, the Malaysian campaigner played flawless badminton and emerged as victor by prevailing in the opening and ending segments of the showdown.
World Number 18 shuttler Daren made his intentions clear straight away in the beginning of the first set as he established an unassailable lead with 5-1 total.
He did not drop his pace at any stage and left the opposing shuttler far behind with a significant margin of 11 before the one-minute break.
Though, the Indian youngster strived hard and narrowed the gap in the third quarter of the set but he had to give up this futile chase after reading 18-21 score on the board.
The second set gave him something to cheer as Daren blundered in the crucial moments and allowed Ajay Jayaram to pocket this vital match point.
Ajay Jayaram did not fritter away this opportunity and brought life back to the contest with an electrifying performance.
Though, he looked a bit confused in the establishing rallies but couple of consecutive points boosted his confidence.
He kick-started his campaign after the mid-game break and gained a decent advantage with 17-15 margin.
Finally, the hard work paid off and Ajay Jayaram levelled the match score with a staggering knock of 21-16.
The decider became crucial for both players as they had no margin of error. Third set remained interesting until the half time as it turned into a dead contest in later part of the game.
Daren Liew showed superior finishing skills and swept the table with a notable difference in 21-14 score.
Now he will be looking to stretch his winning streak to gain access to the final rounds of Li Ning China Open.
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