Hafiz Hashim surrenders as Yuli Prasetyo thunders in final of 2012 Malaysia International Challenge
It was a disappointing end of Maybank Malaysia International Challenge for Muhammad Hafiz Hashim as he failed to raise Men’s Singles trophy in the home event on Sunday, November 18, 2012.
The Malaysian maestro lost to a lower ranked shuttler Wisnu Yuli Prasetyo of Indonesia in the title match which was played in Kuching.
This final tussle lasted for 53 minutes and both contenders entertained the crowd while piling up the concluding figures of 21-3, 19-21 and 18-21.
World Number 41 Hafiz Hashim, who was the hot favourite for this title, got into a commanding position with an impressive performance in the opening game but he frittered away his effort in the ending two games.
The veteran Men’s Singles expert stunned his rival with a staggering knock in the first set and bagged this valuable match point with distinction.
Hafiz Hashim made his intentions clear by establishing an unassailable lead of ten points before the interval. He resumed his expedition after the one-minute break and swept the table with a notable difference in 21-3 margin.
However, following game completely changed the scenario as Yuli Prasetyo showed a transformed character and managed to bring the contest to the right balance.
Initially, the native shuttler relished full benefits of first set win and prevailed in six consecutive rallies.
The top seeded Hashim doubled the lead by adding couple of successive points in his total and it was felt that he will not find any trouble en route to victory.
He widened the gap with 11-2 margin and then kept on ruling the court until 17-12 in third quarter of the set.
At this stage, the veteran shuttler made some mistakes which ultimately led him to a woeful defeat.
The Indonesian campaigner capitalised this opportunity and clinched six uninterrupted points to bounce back into the contest.
Yuli Prasetyo struck hard in the final moments and tipped the scale in his favour with a tight yet decisive total of 21-19.
Third set became crucial after this development and both shuttlers put all in their possession to pocket this match point.
They snapped at each other’s heels and stayed close until last shot was played. Finally, this nerve-racking tussle ended when Hafiz Hashim surrendered after reading 18-21 score on the board.
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