Michael Fuchs - Birgit Michels claim Mixed Doubles title at the 2011 Canada Open Grand Prix
Germany’s top shuttlers, Michael Fuchs and Birgit Michels claimed the Mixed Doubles title as they defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chen Hung Ling and Cheng Wen Hsing in the title-fight of the 2011 Canada Open Grand Prix, in Richmond DC, Canada, on Sunday, July
24.
World Number 13 in the international rankings, Fuchs and Michels, proved their worth in the final battle against the World Number Six and top seeds, Hung Ling and Wen Hsing. The German couple thrashed the higher ranked Taipei duo in a straight-set contest
by taking 38 minutes of court time.
The number two seeded Germans opened their stunning campaign against the top seeds in a highly authoritative manner, as they showed no mercy to their opponents and reached at 11-5 without consuming much time. The Taipei shuttlers failed to tackle with the
speed of their challengers and lost their control over the rallies.
After the break, Fuchs and Michels continued their smooth but powerful run and extended their lead by playing at their best. They were dominating the game in the front court area as their strong pushes and smart play at the net earned them the set with a
stunning margin of 21-10, in just 15 minutes.
The second game of this Mixed Doubles fight was scintillating, as the Taipei shuttlers lifted their game and remained close to their in-form German rivals. In the first-half of the second game, both couples failed to build a considerable lead as the quality
of the game from both sides was top-class.
The interest of the crowd grew stronger as the match progressed between both the elite couples. Fuchs and Michels played superb badminton in the second part of the set but failed to take a lead as their opponents were also playing a positive and fast game.
However, the German duo played smart badminton in the finishing points of the second set and ended the game with a dramatic margin of 23-21, in 23 minutes. This Mixed Doubles final encounter finished-off in 38 minutes with a 21-10 and 23-21 score on the
board.
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