Anup Sridhar tames Andrew Smith to win Men’s Singles title at 2012 Li-Ning Victorian International
India’s experienced player Anup Sridhar delivered a phenomenal performance and claimed Men’s Singles title after taming his higher ranked opponent Andrew Smith of England in the title match of 2012 Li-Ning Victorian International on Saturday, June 30, in Australia.
The in-form Anup, who was seeded at number two in main draw of Men’s Singles category at Victorian International, put up staggering show of elite badminton and did not take much time in ending up the final battle against his confused opponent.
The lower ranked Anup was at his best as all of shots landed perfectly in right areas and he easily thrashed Smith in straight sets by playing attacking badminton all the way for 35 minutes.
In the meanwhile, the top seeded Smith failed to maintain his winning performance in the tournament as he could not do well against his lower ranked Indian opponent and lost to him with a huge margin on the board.
Anup played flawless game from starting points of first set as he did not face any trouble from Smith at the initial stage and took an early lead.
The top seed failed to earn points with his powerful smashes as Anup was impressive in his defensive shots.
The spirited Indian was in commanding position on court as he established a comfortable gap against his English rival until the one-minute interval.
After the break, Anup remained consistent in his power play as he did not show any sign of respect to his rival and won the first game with a huge difference of 21-13.
In the second set, Smith tried to show his class by increasing his speed but failed to create pressure on his rival who was impressive in his sharp reflexes in all areas of the court.
Anup’s court coverage was incredible and he dictated the pace of rallies with his wonderful craft throughout the second game without sparing any gap for his English rival.
The in-form Indian shuttler was in complete control of the game and he bagged the second game easily with a one-sided 21-11 margin on the board.
Anup won the Men’s Singles title after giving a severe treatment to Smith by an incredible margin of 21-13 and 21-11.
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