Dutch mixed doubles pair seals the crown in Croatian International 2012
The mixed doubles duo Jacco Arends-Ilse Vaessen from the Netherlands sealed the crown in Croatian International 2012 tournament by overpowering their Croatian rivals Zvonimir Durkinjak-Stasa Poznanovic on March 11, 2012.
The final contest of the event belonged to the Dutch pair as they registered final score of 22-20, 17-21 and 21-16 on the board.
The Croatian International 2012 remained less noticed as All England Open was also being held in Birmingham at the same time and the World’s oldest Open grasped all the attentions of spectators as well as of the top ranked players.
But despite the low ranked teams participating in the Croatian event, there was top class badminton throughout the tournament. The final match specially was a feast for the eyes as it lasted for three sets and 53 minutes.
The opening set of the match set the overall mood of the tussle as both teams sweat hard to surpass each other. The cliff-hanging score made the crowd gasp till the last shot was played.
The Dutch pair Jacco Arends-Ilse Vaessen bagged the first match point by edging their Croatian challengers Zvonimir Durkinjak-Stasa Poznanovic with the score board flashing final figures of 22-20.
The World Number 51 Croatian duo bounced back into the match with their gutsy performance in the second set. They did not allow the Dutch pair to rise and levelled the lead.
The duo Zvonimir Durkinjak-Stasa Poznanovic stamped the Dutch finalists with a notable margin of 21-17 and set up a best of three contest.
The Croatians failed to continue with their previous set’s performance and the decider belonged to the Dutch mixed doubles experts Jacco Arends and Ilse Vaessen, who brilliantly held the pressure of the final tussle.
The Dutch Champs dominated the most part of the third set and made their Croatian rivals trail behind on the score board. They ended the final set in their favour by ticking a significant margin of 21-16 on the score board.
This concluded their 2-1 victory in the final contest and the Dutch pair Jacco Arends-Ilse Vaessen emerged as the Champions of the mixed doubles event in the Croatian International 2012.
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