Puducherry State Badminton Championship: I. Navien ousts R. Rajiv Marshal at pre-quarter-final stage
India’s talented shuttler I. Navien showed tremendous skills on court and proved his worth by beating his team-mate R. Rajiv Marshal in Boy’s Singes U19 pre-quarter-final at the 31st Puducherry State Badminton Championships – III Phase, in India, on Saturday, August 11.
The in-form Navien, who has been showing a gutsy performance in all of his previous battles in the tournament, continued his winning streak as he played with aggression and overpowered his talented opponent in a tight fashion.
It was a tough fight as Navien had to work extra hard to chuck out Rajiv as he ended up the match in straight games with a close margin on the score board.
In the meanwhile, Rajiv also played impressive badminton but failed to maintain his impressive performance in the finishing points of both games and eventually lost the match with a respectable margin but without taking any set.
In the first game, Navien played with precision but failed to take any advantage as his opponent played with aggression.
Both shuttlers showed their impressive craft on court and remained close until the one-minute interval.
After the break, Navien changed his tactics and started to rely on his impressive net shots coupled with powerful smashes which forced his rival to remain in a defensive position.
The impressive Navien played with complete control in his shots at the ending stage and took the set with a 21-18 score on the board.
In the second game, Rajiv also showed his craft by playing with aggression and he did not let Navien to dominate the pace this time until the mid-game interval.
After the break, they continued showing their aggression on court but no one could manage a reasonable lead until the score reached at the crucial of 22-22.
Navien showed his remarkable temperament at this critical stage as he showed patience and waited for the right opportunity to score points and eventually managed to grab two points in a row and ended up the set with a tight margin of 24-22.
The spirited Navien ended up this interesting Men’s Singles pre-quarter-final battle in straight games with a narrow 21-18 and 24-22 score on the board.
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