2012 Dutch Open: Andre Kurniawan ensures his presence in Men’s Singles quarter-finals
Indonesia’s spirited shuttler Andre Kurniawan Tedjono played impeccable badminton and led his country to the Men’s Singles quarter-finals of Yonex Dutch Open on October 11, 2012.
He unseated the Czech campaigner Petr Koukal by registering final figures 21-23, 21-15 and 21-16 in a hard fought 63-minute encounter.
This splendid win, setup his next clash with Emil Holst of Denmark and if he stretches his successful run then a semi-final spot will be waiting for him.
Andre Kurniawan, who has been placed at fourth spot in the tournament ranking, will employ his valuable experience of preliminary stages to excel in this race of glory.
Earlier in pre quarter-final round, the Indonesian shuttler came back from a horrendous start and saved some honour by prevailing in last two games of the match.
He was bit sluggish in the beginning of first set which ultimately cost him a vital match point as the opposing shuttler made the best out of his blunders.
In first half of the set, Andre could not read his rival’s strategy and was trailing behind until 7-11 total before the interval.
Though, he strived hard and narrowed the gap in third quarter of the set but this short campaign was not enough to stop Petr Koukal from ending first set with a favourable margin of 23-21.
However, Andre did not remain at lower end permanently and managed to keep the contest alive by winning very next game. He did not show any sign of confusion and played with great precision.
In first half of the set, he started the beating after 4-4 and established an unassailable lead by registering 11-7 score before the one-minute break.
Andre carried this flow also in the second half and swept the table with a significant difference in 21-15 total.
The decider proved real test for both shuttlers as they were just one step away from a woeful exit. They put all in their possession and earned great deal of admiration for their honest effort.
Initially, Petr Koukal was in strong position but then the Indonesian player proved himself a late bloomer and secured a berth in the quarter-finals.
Andre Kurniawan showed superb finishing skills and placed an overwhelming margin of 21-16.
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