BWF Super Series Finals: Nan Zhang and Zhao Yunlei struggle in Mixed Doubles first match in Group A
China’s top seed couple of Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei had to work extra hard in their first Group A match of Mixed Doubles against their compatriots and second seeds, Xu Chen and Ma Jin, in the 2011 BWF Super Series Finals, in China, on Wednesday, December 14.
The World Number One shuttlers, Nan and Yunlei, won the battle narrowly after working hard against their team mates, Xu and Ma, who are ranked at number two in the Mixed Doubles world standings. The top seeds took 45 minutes to beat their country-mates in a thrilling three-set match.
The higher ranked Nan and Yunlei remained successful in taking the opening game of the match with a decent score. However, Xu and Ma played well in the second game and won it to level the match. In the deciding set, the top seeds worked well in the ending points and won the set with a close score.
In the opening set of the match, both sides remained close by putting up stunning show of fast and aggressive badminton. They employed powerful pushes and jumping smashes to put pressure on their opponents.
Both experienced pairs progressed in the game with the similar speed as they missed no chance to kill the bird. However, Nan and Yunlei remained lucky in the end as they won easy points to finish the game with a margin of 21-18.
In the following game, Xu and Ma controlled the rallies from the opening points and maintained their domination over the pace of the game. They remained on the tight track in the opening half and built up a reasonable lead. However, Nan and Yunlei played well in the second set and levelled the score at the concluding phase. But the made an unforced error at this crucial stage and lost the set with a tight score of 19-21.
In the final set, the score remained close until 8-8 when Nan and Yunlei accelerated their speed and employed their elite skills to take a lead. They played positive and composed badminton throughout the final set and won it with a three-point difference of 21-18. The overall score of this three-set contest was 21-18, 19-21 and 21-18.
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