Hong Ji Hoon stamps Eetu Heino in Men’s Singles opening round of 2012 Korea Grand Prix Gold
Men’s Singles shuttler Hong Ji Hoon played flawless badminton and outshined Eetu Heino in the opening round of Korea Grand Prix Gold on Tuesday, December 4, 2012.
He consumed his energies for 37 minutes to read a favourable result of 21-12 and 21-15. This win paved his path to the second round where he will be up against compatriot Hyun Suk Ahn.
The Korean campaigner will employ all of his brilliance in the game to ensure his presence in the pre quarter-finals of this GP Gold event.
Ji Hoon, who is an unseeded shuttler in this tournament, performed beyond expectations in the opening game and raised his chances of success.
He started the beating from the beginning and maintained an upper hand until last shot was played.
The first half of the set was completely dominated by him as he cornered his rival in all areas of the game and established an unassailable lead.
Though, the Finnish player made swift progress and narrowed the gap but his fluctuated performance put his expedition to a halt.
Meanwhile, Ji Hoon ruled the court in a couple of back-to-back rallies and piled a mountainous figure of 11 before the interval.
After the one-minute break, the Korean shuttler injected more intensity in the attack and confined his competitor in the rear court. He manipulated every loop-hole masterly and doubled his lead in the third quarter of the set.
The nine-point deficit proved too much for Eetu Heino as he could not lift this burden and knelt down after reading 12-21 score on the board.
Next game was also played in similar manner as the native player pocketed full benefits of his home ground to seal a straight-set victory.
Ji Hoon, put his opponent under huge pressure by placing a notable figure of 8 in no time and then magnified the impact by widening the gap with a total of 11.
Latter part of the game saw the Finnish shuttler making every effort to counter-balance the situation but he was not up to the mark.
Eetu Heino blundered in the crucial stage and ultimately surrendered when Ji Hoon registered a winning margin of 21-15.
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