Daren Liew sets himself in motion with 2012 French Open title – Badminton Feature
Right when the Malaysian youngster Daren Liew was facing the music for his long streak of failures, he silenced his critics by raising country’s flag in 2012 Yonex French Badminton Open. He remained invincible throughout this tournament and claimed the Men’s
Singles crown despite of the presence of many world class players.
The 25-year-old Daren, who holds 18th spot in the World rankings, outclassed the world beaters like Jan O Jorgensen, Hu Yun, Sho Sasaki and Viktor Axelsen in his way to glory. This was not only the first Super Series title of his career but also
his first international title this year.
Earlier, the Malaysian campaigner had powered his way to the quarter-finals of All England Open, Swiss Open, Singapore Open and Denmark Open but he could not make into the final rounds and crashed out in a woeful manner.
The badminton critics opened fire at him for his poor finishing skills. Daren was advised to pull out his name from remaining international events of this season but he proved his point with an unbeatable run in the French Open.
Though, he was not blessed with a dream draw as he was supposed to intercept many higher ranked contenders en route to the final rounds but he performed beyond expectations and gave a strong statement about his talent and potential.
He kick-started his expeditions by sealing a splendid win over Tien Chen Chou of Chinese Taipei. This opening match prolonged to three hard fought games and Daren Liew saved his honour by prevailing in the ending two segments of this showdown.
This long-awaited success led him to the pre quarter-finals where Hu Yun of Hong Kong was all set to compete. Both contenders remained head-to-head for 44 minutes and this straight-set match proved a real test of mental and physical fitness for them.
The underrated but spirited Daren raised his chances of victory by claiming the opening match point with distinction. He played with even more conviction in the second set and wrapped this nerve-racking battle in a favourable manner.
However, real challenge was waiting for him in the quarter-final round as he was scheduled to face World Number eight Sho Sasaki. The Malaysian campaigner employed all of his brilliance in the game and trounced the higher ranked Japanese competitor.
With such an emphatic performance, he ensured his presence in the semi-final round and alarmed all the frontrunners of this tournament. His next opponent was Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark.
Daren Liew took some time to get on the right track and this cautious approach cost him a vital match point but he made amends in the final stage. He bagged ending two match points with great ease and paved his path to the title match.
The grand finale pit Daren against another Danish player Viktor Axelsen but he did not show any sign of bewilderment and stole the limelight with a lustrous performance. He tipped the scale in his favour by winning the first set and then reserved top spot
on the victory stand by sealing a straight-set victory.
The badminton king Lee Chong Wei has admired his effort in this Super Series and declared him the future hope of Malaysia. However, Daren will have to develop a winning habit to prove himself eligible for such titles and couple of more successful international
outings can do the trick.
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