Ajay Jayaram surges into Men’s Singles quarter-final of the 2011 Hong Kong Open Super Series
India’s spirited shuttler Ajay Jayaram has made his presence felt to the world as he has surged into Men’s Singles quarter-final after thrashing Malaysia’s Muhammad Hafiz Hashim in the round-of-16 fight in the 2011 Hong Kong Open Super Series, on Thursday,
November 17, in Hong Kong.
Jayaram, who is placed at number 34 in the Men’s Singles world standings, put up fabulous show of flawless badminton against Hafiz Hashim and won the match in straight games by taking just 29 minutes in the court. The Malaysian failed to utilise his experience
against the in-form Indian, who was the best on court.
The first set of the match was a complete thriller as both players progressed while remaining toe-to-toe until the interval, when Jayaram was leading the game with a small margin. The Malaysian was struggling to match the speed of his passionate rival.
After the interval, both players remained close until the score entered into the concluding phase. At this crucial stage, the Indian accelerated his speed and dominated the rallies to finish up the opening set with a 21-16 score.
In the second set, Hafiz Hashim put up a strong show by employing his experience and took a good lead in the opening points. However, the Indian levelled the score by playing at his best speed. He controlled the rallies by playing with aggression and remained
successful in setting up a good lead. Hafiz Hashim completely failed to stop the aggressive progress of his rival in the opening half.
After the one-minute break, the Malaysian tried to accelerate his speed but failed to level the score as the Indian was moving far ahead. Jayaram remained focused in the match and spared no chance for the Malaysian to fight back in the game. The Indian took
the set with a 21-15 score.
Jayaram took only 29 minutes to get rid of the Malaysian by finishing off the match with a 21-16 and 21-15 score on the board.
In the quarter-final showdown, Jayaram will face the World Number One, Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia who crushed Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen in the top-16 contest.
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