2013 Sudirman Cup: Lee Dong Keun performs exceptionally well in group stage – Badminton News
Korea’s prime male shuttler Lee Dong Keun played with great precision and served the notice of his class in the group stage of Sudirman Cup on Tuesday, May 21, 2013.
He locked horns with Saensomboonsuk Tanongsak of Thailand and their encounter remained in full swing for 59 minutes. Both contenders tested each other in all departments of game and concluded this showdown with decisive figures of 12-21, 21-9 and 22-20.
Though, the Korean campaigner lost first set of the match but he managed to rise from the dust and saved the honour with a staggering knock in ending two games. Meanwhile, the Thai shuttler squandered a great opportunity of straight-set victory and knelt
down tamely in pressure situation.
Saensomboonsuk amazed everyone by performing exceptionally well in the first set. He prevailed in the establishing rallies and setup a significant lead on the points table. He did not lose focus at any stage and doubled his total in next couple of rallies.
At the half time, Saensomboonsuk was in strong position with a mountainous figure of 11. He made best out of this initial advantage and strengthened his grip over game in third quarter of the set. His hard work paid off and he won this set with 21-12 score
on the board.
However, things were not that much easy for them in the following games as the Korean player turned the tables with an outstanding performance.
Lee Dong did not show any sign of bewilderment and won the second set of match with great distinction. He started the beating from very first stroke and kept on playing with this authoritative approach all the way to final moments. He registered an overwhelming
total of 21-9 and setup a nerve-racking third set.
The decider proved a tough trial of their mental and physical strength as both contenders put all they had to oust the opponent. They stood toe-to-toe all the way to game point situation and made the crowd gasp with their mesmerising performance.
Finally, this cliff-hanging contest ended when Lee Dong placed a tight yet concluding margin of 22-20. His victory played a vital role in Korea’s triumph in this Group B match.
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