Malaysia Open 2012: A second round exit for young Zulfadli Zulkiffli
The talented back-up shuttler Zulfadli Zulkiffli faced an early exit from the Malaysia Open GP Gold as he failed to shine against Yong Zhao Ashton in second round match on May 3, 2012.
However, the youngster registered his mark by resisting against higher ranked rival in three exhausting sets which lasted for one hour and four minutes.
World Number 63 player Yong Zhao utilised his experience and managed to end this tussle with 21-16, 19-21 and 21-13 scores in his favour.
The Singaporean shuttler enjoyed complete dominance in first set of the match as he gained a three-point advantage immediately in the start and then gradually strengthen his grip 11-7 until the interval.
After the break, Yong Zhao lost his grip for short period of time when his opponent narrowed the gap at 13-12 but he dealt with this situation and finished the first set with a significant margin of 21-16.
Next game was certainly best part of the match as both contenders remained toe-to-toe until game point situation.
In the beginning, young Zulfadli was just a nail ahead of his superior challenger at 9-8 but he ended the first half with a slight edge in 11-9 total.
The spirited Malaysian came under huge pressure when Yong Zhao caught him at critical position of 17-17 but he added three crucial points in his total which ultimately helped him to level the lead with a 21-19 score on the board.
This second set win aroused the hopes of the local crowd who were there to support the native but the Singaporean campaigner roared to silence the audience in the third and final set.
The decider saw Yong Zhao at his best as he completely outclassed his talented but inexperienced opponent. He was standing at same level until 6-6 but patience was the key to his success.
He raised his total to 11 with some uninterrupted rallies before the mid-game break.
In later part of the final set, Zulfadli tried to get on his toes by earning three consecutive points but it was not enough to stop Yong Zhao from sealing the victory with a notable margin of 21-13.
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