Korea Open Premier Super Series: Lee Chong Wei ousts Kenichi Tago to reserve a semi-final spot
Malaysia’s best ever player, Lee Chong Wei, has secured his spot in the Men’s Singles semi-final after taming Japan’s Kenichi Tago in the quarter-final contest at the 2012 Korea Open Premier Super Series on Friday, January 6, in South Korea.
The World Number One and top seed in the event, Chong Wei, played to his maximum potential and overpowered his Japanese rival by taking 49 minutes in the court. He ended the match in hard-fought two games and advanced into the top-4 stage.
Chong Wei started the game in a quivering way as his opponent was playing fast and positive badminton. Tago was in complete control of the game and did not slow down the pace of rallies. He employed his superb skills and pushed the Malaysian shuttler in
all areas of the court.
Chong Wei remained close but failed to dominate the game as his Japanese challenger was quicker in taking the shuttlecock from all areas of the court. However, the top seed managed a slight lead of 11-10 until the one-minute break in the first game.
After the break, Chong Wei tried to extend his lead by playing fast game but failed to produce better results as his Japanese opponent also played at the similar level. The score was 17-17 when the higher ranked Malaysian put up stunning show of top quality
game and won the set with a margin of 21-18.
In the following set, the fast and attacking play of both shuttlers in the opening rallies grabbed attention of huge local crowd. Tago played with precision and remained successful in taking a reasonable lead of 8-5.
Chong Wei changed his tactics and started to target the side lines of the court. His impressive speed and perfect execution of strokes did not allow Tago to remain ahead. The Malaysian shuttler covered the deficit and also reached at 11-10 at the interval.
After the break, Chong Wei played with wonderful control and kept his opponent moving around in the court. However, Tago played better at the net and managed to level the score by reaching at 14-14.
At this stage, Chong Wei again occupied the driving seat and geared up his speed to end the second game with a decent 21-17 score on the board. He won this fight in straight games with a margin of 21-18 and 21-17.
In the Men’s Singles semi-final showdown, Chong Wei will face China’s Du Pengyu, who crushed Simon Santoso of Indonesia in the other quarter-final battle.
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