Henri Hurskainen throws out Viktor Axelsen from European Championships semi-finals
Men’s Singles event of European Championships got its first finalist when Henri Hurskainen of Sweden thrashed his competitor Viktor Axelsen from Denmark in semi-final match on April 20, 2012.
The 61-minute exercise against a higher ranked opponent yielded good results for Henri in form of favourable figures 18-21, 21-18 and 21-17.
Though, the Swedish shuttler did not have a desired start in semi-final tussle but he struck hard when it mattered to ensure his presence in title match of the event.
Men’s Singles expert Viktor, who was ranked seven in this Championship, took off in right manner by clinching first match point. He was bit sluggish in the start of first game and trailed behind 3-7 but he accelerated his pace to level the score 11-11 before
the mid-game break.
After interval, Viktor got into authoritative position with some powerful rallies which took him to a decent margin of 17 points but his rival scored five consecutive points and created bit pressure in last stages of the first set.
However, Viktor walked tall after putting a decisive margin of 21- 18.
The Danish campaigner opened second game by playing attacking badminton to keep his opponent under pressure. He enjoyed an upper hand in the first half of the set 11-9.
However, the Swedish shuttler Henri stunned him with a staggering performance in later part of the game. He first equalled the score 11-11 and then established an unassailable lead with four consecutive points.
Final figures of 21-18 remained in Henri’s favour and he setup a nerve-racking final set clash.
There was lot of drama in the third and final set of the match as both contenders tried to excel and did not allow the opponent to gain advantage until the last shot was played.
The unseeded player of the tournament, Henri Hurskainen matched his rival’s skills and stayed close in score position with 10-11 before mid-game break.
Both players were level at 13 points when the Swedish contender made difference with some valuable nonstop rallies and sealed the splendid victory with scoreboard flashing 21-17 in his favour.
Now, the victorious shuttler Henri will lock horns with the German shuttler Marc Zwiebler in title match of the European Championships 2012.
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