2012 National Circuit GP Finals: Lydia Cheah clinches top spot in Women’s Singles Group B
Women’s Singles campaigner Lydia Cheah Li Ya of Malaysia remained invincible in group stage of Maybank National Circuit Grand Prix Finals as she won her last group match on December 28, 2012.
She was up against the compatriot shuttler Sannatasah Saniru in local badminton arena of Alor Setar and this encounter ended with decisive figures of 21-13 and 22-20.
Though, Lydia Cheah sealed a straight-set victory but still she had to sweat hard in both games as the opposing shuttler displayed great fighting spirit.
Sannatasah played with great conviction and precision but luck was not on her side as she had to face a woeful defeat.
In the opening game, both contenders challenged each other in the establishing rallies and neither of them could make a notable difference on the points table.
They remained close until 7-7 but then Lydia Cheah prevailed in couple of uninterrupted rallies and established a decent lead.
She played impeccable badminton and finished first half of the set with a mountainous figure of 11.
This initial advantage helped her in latter part of the game as Sannatasah could not come out of that deficit and surrendered tamely.
Lydia Cheah resumed her campaign with three consecutive points immediately after one-minute break.
She carried this flow all the way to game point situation and wrapped this segment of the showdown with an eight-point lead in 21-13 score.
The following game proved real test for both shuttlers as they put all in their possession to achieve their respective goals.
Sannatasah was trying to avoid a shameful defeat whereas Lydia Cheah was looking to transform her 1-0 lead into a straight-set victory.
Initially, they did not allow each other to gain a permanent advantage but then Sannatasah bagged three points in a row after 7-7 to tip the scale in her favour. She did not lose focus even after the mid-game break and ruled the court until 15-9 margin.
At this stage, Lydia Cheah employed an effective counterattack strategy and reinstated her dominance.
She pocketed three consecutive points after 20-19 and claimed a spot in main round of the tournament with final result of 22-20.
Tags: