Finnish Open 2012: Andrew Smith topples Mikael Westerback in Men’s Singles qualifying round
England’s Andrew Smith penetrated into Men’s Singles main round after beating Mikael Westerback of Sweden in the qualifying round of Finnish Open 2012 on Thursday, March 29, in Finland.
Smith showed a wonderful performance in the last match of qualifying round and managed to outplay his opponent in an emphatic fashion.
The English shuttler took just 27 minutes in the court to chuck out his Swedish rival in straight games.
On the other hand, Mikael played well in the opening half of first set but lost his focus in the concluding part and also remained unable to dictate the pace of rallies in the second set.
He lost to his English rival in two sets without putting up impressive show.
Smith started his campaign in a relaxed manner as he did not show any sign of urgency which helped his opponent to take a reasonable lead.
Mikael was quicker in taking the bird early from all areas of the court and remained successful in setting up a reasonable lead on the board until the one-minute interval.
However, Smith changed his tactics in the second half of first set and remained successful in finding a good rhythm.
He did not show any sign of pressure and managed to level the score while remaining focused in the game.
The English shuttler was in complete control in the concluding half of opening set and managed to win it with an impressive margin of 21-16.
In the second game, Smith delivered an elevated performance from the opening points and remained successful in setting up a wonderful lead until the one-minute interval.
Mikael could not produce positive shots and also failed to create gaps in his challenger’s court.
After the break, Smith continued his aggressive play and also remained dominant throughout the game. He did not lose his focus at any stage in the second set by playing to his maximum potential.
Smith remained successful in winning the second game with a huge margin of 21-14.
The English shuttler won this qualifying round contest in just 27 minutes with an impressive 21-16 and 21-14 score on the board.
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