2012 Japan Open: Viktor Axelsen beats Suppanyu Avihingsanon in opening round of Men’s Singles event
Men’s Singles expert Viktor Axelsen played impeccable badminton and marched into the pre quarter-finals of the Yonex Japan Open on Wednesday, September 19, 2012.
He overpowered Suppanyu Avihingsanon in a 60-minute battle with a favourable result of 21-13, 19-21 and 21-19.
Though, the Danish campaigner has started his expedition in a perfect manner but the real challenge awaits him in second round of the event where he is expected to face the badminton king Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia.
Viktor will employ all of his brilliance in the game to ensure his presence in the knock out round of the tournament.
Earlier in the opening match, he mesmerised the local crowd in Yoyogi National Stadium of Tokyo by displaying incomparable craft on the court.
He took time to get settled in the first set but never looked back after gaining the right momentum.
Both shuttlers remained equal until 7-7 but then Viktor made the difference with a couple of uninterrupted points and placed a respectable total of 11-8.
Latter part of the game proved a dead contest as the Thai player hardly put any effort and knelt down tamely after reading 13-21 score on the board.
However, Suppanyu provided his supporters something to cheer in the very next game as he showed a transformed character to bag the second match point.
This time he played with a positive approach and matched his rival’s skills throughout this crucial segment of the showdown.
In the first half of the set, he gained an early advantage with 7-4 total but then the opposing shuttler counter-balanced the situation with 11-9 margin.
After one-minute break, Suppanyu showed elevated craft to reinstate his dominance. He mounted pressure 17-15 and then magnified the impact by registering a decisive figure of 21-19.
The decider became consequential with such an emphatic end of the second set. Both players challenged each other all the way to game point situation and made this a memorable contest.
Initially, the Danish campaigner established an unassailable lead in 8-3 but then his challenger caught him at 16-16 score.
Viktor Axelsen showed superior finishing skills and locked the honour with a striking knock of 21-19.
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