Mohamad Arif Abdul Latif stuns Rajiv Ouseph in first round of the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold
Malaysia’s back-up player, Mohamad Arif Abdul Latif, has delivered a stunning performance as he defeated Rajiv Ouseph of England, in the Men’s Singles first round of the 2011 Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold, in Thailand, on Wednesday, June 8.
Arif Latif, who is currently ranked at the 98th spot in the Men’s Singles world standings, played mature badminton against the World Number 19, Ouseph, to win the match in three games of 48 minutes.
Ouseph, who was the eighth seed in the event, played his usual game in the first set by relying on his drives and powerful smashes, which earned him a good lead and he managed to maintain it throughout the set. Arif played some hasty strokes which went wide
of the sidelines of the court. He failed to find the momentum in the opening game and lost it in just 16 minutes with a margin of 15-21.
Arif recovered in the match from a one-set deficit to level it by winning the second game. He increased his speed in the front court by picking the bird from the tape of the net. His spinning net strokes forced Ouseph to lift the bird high in the air which
helped the Malaysian to smash the bird on the sidelines of the court. Arif left no room for Ouseph to score points and won the game by a good difference of 21-16 in 18 minutes.
The final game was a nightmare for Ouseph, as his opponent pushed him on the back foot by playing on a different level. Arif proved that he is more mature now and is the right candidate to fill the vacuum in Malaysia’s national squad of Men’s Singles.
Arif finished the final game in impressive fashion in just 14 minutes, with a stunning difference of 21-14. The 48-minute match concluded with the score of 15-21, 21-16 and 21-14.
In the second round of the event, the Malaysian will fight against Riichi Takeshita of Japan, who thrashed Daren Liew of Malaysia in the first round of the championship.
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