Para-Badminton Euro 2012: Andrew Martin casts out Oliver Clarke to secure berth in title match
Men’s Singles expert Andrew Martin of England overpowered Oliver Clarke to march into final round of Para-Badminton Euro tournament on Sunday, June 10, 2012.
This semi-final tussle lasted for 47 minutes and both shuttlers sweat hard to oust their challenger but Andrew managed to finish this battle with favourable figures of 19-21, 21-6 and 21-10.
The triumphant British shuttler came back from horrendous start and proved his mettle against his compatriot.
Meanwhile, the opposing player squandered his effort in last two sets which ultimately cost him a crucial match.
In the opening set of contest, Oliver Clarke looked in prime touch as he was hanging by thread to stay alive in final moments but he did not lose heart and struck hard when it mattered.
He gained an immediate advantage with couple of quick rallies and maintained an upper hand all the way to half time.
At the one-minute interval, he was leading in 11-7 margin on the board and this four-point lead allowed him to enjoy a smooth ride immediately after the break.
However, final moments of the set turned this contest into a nerve-racking tussle as the other British campaigner narrowed the gap by pocketing back-to-back points but Oliver managed to end this race with favourable margin of 21-19.
The second set completely turned one-sided affair as Andrew Martin bounced back with a strong reply and blew away his rival with a significant difference.
This time he manipulated every loophole and did not give his challenger a single chance to rise from the dust.
He unleashed flurry of masterly crafted strokes and pushed the opposing shuttler in all areas of court. He set foundation of his success by placing a mountainous total of 11 before the interval.
After mid-game break, he did not show mercy and continued proceeding at top gear. He levelled match score with a huge 15-points lead in final total of 21-6.
The decider also belonged to Andrew Martin who utilised the self confidence and outclassed his country-mate.
This time he had a cautious start but did not lose the grip all the way to game point situation. He swept the table with 21-10 and sealed a splendid victory in semi-final round of the event.
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