Manuela Diaz sends Sinead Chambers packing in quarter-finals of 2012 European Universities Games
An upset was seen in the Women’s Singles quarter-finals of European Universities Games-Badminton Individual Tournament when the unseeded Manuela Diaz Carmona outclassed top seeded Sinead Chambers on July 16, 2012.
This epic 53-minute encounter prolonged to three sets before ending with concluding result of 21-17, 17-21 and 17-21.
The losing shuttler, who belongs to Northern Ireland, disappointed her supporters and crashed out despite having better odds for this contest.
Meanwhile, the local campaigner Manuela Diaz entertained the audience by showing commendable craft in Rafael Lozano badminton arena of Córdoba, Spain.
Though, she lost the opening game by a hair's breadth but she gave the crowd a solid reason to celebrate by winning the final two sets.
First set of the match was completely dominated by Sinead as she employed all the experience and brilliance in the game to oust the lower ranked opponent.
She laid a foundation of her supremacy by clinching four uninterrupted points straight away in the beginning.
She dictated her rival all the way to mid-game break and finished first half with a respectable total of 11-6.
The Irish player started the second half with an upper hand but she lost grip when the opposing shuttler leapt forward with 14-15 in third quarter of the set.
However, Sinead managed to pocket six out of ending nine points and bagged first set with 21-17 score on the board.
Next game changed the scenario as Spanish player counter-balanced the situation by grabbing crucial match point.
Manuela Diaz, who plays for University of Granada, played with great precision and turned her competitor’s plan of a straight-set victory into dust.
She followed an effective counter-attack strategy and kept the opposing shuttler under her influence.
In first half, she made up the difference with four consecutive rallies after 7-6 and put a mountainous figure of 11-6 before interval.
After the one-minute break, she strengthened her grip so that even an intensive invasion of Sinead did not harm her much and she survived with 21-17 margin.
Now both players were standing level and they made every effort to surpass their challenger in third set of the match.
They chased each other until third quarter but then Manuela Diaz left her rival far behind with staggering knock of 21-17.
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