2012 Macau Open: Tontowi Ahmad, Liliyana Natsir raise Mixed Doubles trophy – Badminton News
Indonesia’s prime Mixed Doubles team Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir proved their worth by claiming the crown in Kumpoo Macau Open Badminton Grand Prix Gold on December 2, 2012.
They were up against the compatriot duo Muhammad Rijal-Debby Susanto as this encounter remained in full swing for 51 minutes.
The victorious couple locked the honour by prevailing in the opening and ending segments whereas the other Indonesian pair could live its moment of glory only in the second set.
World Number two duo Tontowi-Liliyana employed all of their brilliance in the game and sealed a splendid win with an impressive result of 21-16, 14-21 and 21-16.
Both partners laid the foundation of their supremacy straight away in the beginning of first set and maintained that upper hand until last shot was played.
In first half of the set, they mounted pressure with a decent total of 5-2 and then doubled the impact by clinching a few consecutive points before the interval.
Though, Rijal and Debby made every effort to counter-balance the situation but they could not tip the scale in their favour.
They kept trailing behind until game point situation and gave up this futile chase after reading 16-21 score on the board.
However, they managed to save their honour by ruling the court in the very next game. This time they played with a positive approach and avoided a straight-set defeat.
The third seeded Indonesian team started the beating from the very first stroke and played with similar conviction until the final moments.
Rijal and Debby established an unassailable lead with 7-2 margin and then capitalised this initial advantage to place 11-3 total before the one-minute break.
Later part of the game saw them losing focus for a short span of time but they reinstated their dominance when it mattered. They finished this crucial game with a favourable score position of 21-14.
The decider became consequential as both contenders were just one step away from a GP Gold title.
They chased each other all the way to final stage and this nerve-racking tussle ended when Tontowi-Liliyana registered a winning figure. They maintained a respectable lead of five points and put 21-16 score on the board.
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