Lack of good finishing skills hit Du Pengyu hard in 2012 BWF Superseries Finals
Men’s Singles expert Du Pengyu of China played tremendously well in BWF Superseries Finals and gained access to title match despite the presence of world beaters like Lee Chong Wei, Hu Yun, Hans Kristian Vittinghus and Chen Long.
The lower ranked but talented Chinese player amazed every one by outshining the badminton king Chong Wei in his opening match. He stood tall against the Malaysian maestro for one hour and five minutes and registered a splendid victory with 12-21, 21-16 and
22-20 margin.
With this impressive beginning, he locked horns with the fourth seeded shuttler Hu Yun of Hong Kong. This Group A match kept both contenders busy on court for 55 minutes.
However, Du Pengyu managed to tip the scale in his favour by prevailing in both segments of the showdown. He did not show any sign of confusion and played with great precision to lock the honour.
He laid foundation of his supremacy by clinching first match point with 21-18 score and then served notice of his potential with an impressive result of 23-21.
Worlds Number nine Du Pengyu claimed the top spot in his group with two consecutive triumphs and his third challenger was a spirited Thai shuttler Boonsak Ponsana.
Though, this group match was of less importance for the Chinese shuttler as he already had reserved his spot in the knock out round but still he played with full force to remain invincible in the group stage.
On the other hand, it was a do or die situation for the opposing player so this battle proved real test of their mental and physical strength. They remained head-to-head for 72 minutes and made this a memorable contest with a commendable show of badminton
skills.
This 2-1 victory led Du Pengyu to the semi-final round where he was scheduled to meet Hans Kristian Vittinghus of Denmark. Both contenders challenged each other in all areas of the game and earned great deal of admiration for putting an honest effort.
They were equal in match score position until second set but then the native shuttler struck hard when it mattered and sent Hans Vittinghus packing with 2-1 victory.
However, Du Pengyu’s unbeatable run ended in the title match as he could not match his compatriot shuttler Chen Long’s class and surrendered tamely. He lost first set in a disgraceful manner and then failed to make amends in the following game.
This lack of good finishing skills ultimately led to a woeful exit from BWF Superseries Finals. This international tournament was a golden opportunity to elevate his status in the arena but the young Du Pengyu could not hit the mark.
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