Muhammad Hafiz Hashim beats Ajay Jayaram in qualifying round of the Singapore Open Super Series 2011
Experienced Malaysian shuttler, Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, has defeated India’s Ajay Jayaram, in a thrilling qualifying Men’s Singles round match in the Singapore Open Super Series 2011, at Singapore, on Tuesday, June 14, 2011.
Hafiz Hashim had to struggle really hard to beat the brave Indian in a nail-biting three-set battle, which took 52 minutes of world-class badminton.
The Malaysian, who is currently occupying the Number 42 position in the Men’s Singles world rankings, played impressive badminton in the first set of the game, where he made the Indian move around in the court to return his well-placed strokes.
Jayaram, who is the World Number 36 spot holder, failed to anticipate the strokes of his opponent, who was playing with variation in his shots. Hashim won the first game without any notable struggle with a 21-15 margin, in just 16 minutes.
The Indian stunned his experienced opponent by playing on a different level in the second game, where he dominated the set with superb control. Jayaram proved that he is not an average shuttler, as he dictated the pace of the game by moving faster in all
areas of the court.
Hafiz Hashim tried to break the flow of his rival by slowing down the pace of the game, but the Indian refused to reduce his speed as he executed powerful smashes together with net killings. The Malaysian was helpless against the firing Indian and lost the
set by a big difference of 14-21, in just 15 minutes.
The crowd could not have asked for a more thrilling fight as both shuttlers put up an incredible show of top-class badminton in the third and deciding set. Both players were employing net strokes to create opportunities for smashes.
The score reached at the crucial stage of 22-22, where the Malaysian was lucky in scoring two consecutive points, which earned him the third game with a 24-22 margin, in 21 minutes. The three-set fight of 52 minutes ended with a margin of 21-15, 14-21 and
24-22.
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