2012 Japan Open: A pre quarter-final round entry for Taufik Hidayat in Men’s Singles event
The veteran shuttler Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia proved his worth in the Men’s Singles event as he outclassed Parupalli Kashyap in the opening round on Wednesday, September 19, 2012.
This straight-set match was played at Yoyogi National Stadium of Tokyo and both contenders kept the audience glued to their chairs while piling up final figures of 21-18 and 21-18.
However, World Number 12 Taufik managed to lock the honour after an exhausting exercise of 48 minutes and qualified for the second round where he will be up against Akira Koga of Japan.
The Indonesian maestro is likely to have a smooth ride to the quarter-finals and if he performs according to the expectations then there will be a clash of compatriots in the elimination round.
Earlier in his opening encounter, Taufik started the ball rolling by grabbing the very first match point and dominated the overall pace of the game.
Though, he was bit sluggish in the beginning of first set but a laudable effort in third quarter of the set helped him to gain an early advantage in match score position.
Meanwhile, the prime Indian shuttler showed his class and enjoyed the upper hand until 11-4 total before the half time.
After one-minute interval, Kashyap made some mistakes which jeopardised his stakes. He let six valuable points slip from his hands and allowed his rival to narrow the gap.
Taufik did not miss this counter-attack opportunity and bounced back with a strong reply. He levelled the score at 15-15 and then served notice of his supremacy with a favourable result of 21-18.
The second set was also filled with great excitement as both shuttlers put all they managed to achieve their respective goals.
Kashyap was looking to avoid a straight-set defeat but he was no comparison to the experience and brilliance of the Indonesian shuttler.
Taufik established a respectable lead with 5-0 and then strengthened his grip by putting 11-3 margin just before the break.
He continued with his top form and ruled the court in the crucial moments. He managed to maintain a notable difference in 21-18 and cruised to the victory.
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