All England Open Premier Super Series: Muhammad Hafiz Hashim tames Chan Yan Kit in qualifying round
Malaysia’s senior shuttler Muhammad Hafiz Hashim delivered a gutsy performance as he defeated Hong Kong’s Chan Yan Kit in Men’s Singles qualifying round of the All England Open Premier Super Series 2012 in Birmingham, England, on Tuesday, March 6.
The World Number 32 Hafiz, who is the third seed in Men’s Singles qualifying round of All England Open, proved his elevated skills and won the battle against Yan Kit, who has been positioned at number 35 in the world rankings.
Hafiz started the opening game in a completely authoritative fashion as he played aggressive badminton and set up an early lead until the break.
On the other hand, Yan Kit could not produce good form and also failed to dictate the pace of rallies as his higher ranked opponent was in complete control.
After the break, Hafiz continued playing dominating badminton and maintained pressure on his lower ranked rival.
He did not commit unforced errors and also showed no mercy to Yan Kit in the entire concluding phase.
Yan Kit tried to find his rhythm but failed and committed unforced errors which helped his Malaysian challenger in stretching his lead.
Hafiz was quite focused in the game and managed to bag it with a tremendous 21-11 score on the board.
In the second set, Yan Kit played good badminton as he matched the speed of his rival and remained equal until 5-5 when Hafiz started to dominate the pace of rallies.
The higher ranked Malaysian played to his maximum potential and did not miss any chance in extending his lead.
Until the 60-second break, the Malaysian was moving far ahead by reaching at 11-5 on the score board.
After the break, Yan Kit changed his style of play and started to dominate rallies at net. He played well and remained successful in reducing the deficit but failed to level the score as his opponent became quicker.
Hafiz started to take the bird early in the concluding phase of second set and ended it with a 21-15 score on the board.
The Malaysian emerged as the winner in this Men’s Singles qualifying round with a comprehensive margin of 21-11 and 21-15.
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