Garuda lives up to its billing in Axiata Cup Finals – Badminton Update
The first string Indonesian team, Garuda earned the crown in the Axiata Cup by overpowering relatively inexperienced squad the Rajawali in second leg of the finals on April 15, 2012.
Garuda emerged as Champions of the first million-dollar team event after beating their compatriots with a 2-1 match score.
The richest team event in badminton history, the Axiata Cup offered huge prize money of $1 million and the winning team pocketed lucrative amount of $400,000 while the runners-up went home with a whopping cash prize of $200,000.
Garuda, played with prime shuttlers Taufik Hidayat, Simon Santoso and the duo Mohammad Ahsan-Bona Septano, proved their authority over their talented but inexperienced rivals.
World Number nine Simon Santoso opened the marathon against lower ranked campaigner Tommy Sugiarto of Rajawali and won a crucial point for his team by overpowering Tommy in just two games with a 21-16 and 21-10 score on the board.
However, there was a huge upset in following tussle as the newly formed pair of Alvent Yulianto-Angga Pratama thrashed the World Number six partnership Mohammad Ahsan-Bona Septano in a nerve racking battle.
The opening game set the overall mood of match as it ended with a tight margin of 23-21 in Rajawali’s favour.
The top Indonesian pair of Ahsan-Septano showed their class in the second game and levelled the lead with a 21-12 score on the board but they could not rise in the decider and went down with the scoreboard flashing a 13-21 score in the end.
The third encounter between Taufik Hidayat and Shesar Hiren Rhustavito turned in to a flat contest as Taufik buried his inexperienced rival with great ease.
He launched a brisk attack straight away in the first game and bagged the first match point with a significant margin of 21-14 as he sealed Garuda’s victory by registering a 21-15 score in the second set.
The next challenge for these prime Indonesian shuttlers is the Thomas Cup finals in China which will be in full swing from May 20 in Wuhan.
They had a great practice run in the Axiata Cup as they are also scheduled to participate in the India Open and Asian Badminton Championships before the mega 2012 London Olympics.
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