Rafael Valentino waylays Erik Romadhon H in second round of 2013 Victor Walikota Surabaya Cup
Men’s Singles campaigner Rafael Valentino stretched his winning streak in Victor Walikota Surabaya Cup and qualified for the pre quarter-final round on Tuesday, May 7, 2013.
He was up against Erik Romadhon H and this encounter prolonged to 48 minutes before ending with decisive figures of 21-12, 16-21 and 21-14.
Rafael ruled the court in opening and ending segments of the showdown whereas the losing shuttler could pocket only the second match point.
The opening game started with few back-to-back gruelling rallies as both contenders made every effort to gain an immediate advantage.
Initially, neither of them could establish a comfortable lead but then Rafael showed his class and tipped the scale in his favour. He bagged many valuable points without any interruption and strengthened his grip on the game.
Rafael played with great precision and finished first half of the set with a respectable score position. He started second half with a psychological edge and capitalised this advantage to ensure his win.
He maintained a significant difference on the points table and claimed this crucial match point with 21-12 margin.
However, things went out of his hands in very next game as Erik Romadhon showed a transformed character and won this set. This time, he improvised his game plan and confounded the higher ranked opposing shuttler.
At first, he mounted pressure by pocketing many valuable points in a row and then magnified the impact by placing a decent total before interval.
After the one-minute break, Rafael tried hard to counterbalance the situation but his below par performance proved the biggest hurdle for him.
On the other hand, Erik showed consistency in his performance and swept the table with an overwhelming total of 21-16.
The decider was supposed to be a nerve-racking contest but it proved a one-sided affair after the mid-game break.
Initially, both shuttlers challenged each other in all areas of game and made the crowd gasp. However, Rafael did not take much time to establish a significant lead.
He maintained that upper hand all the way to game point situation and sealed his victory with 21-14 score.
Now he will lock horns with Rizky Antasari in pre quarter-final round of 2013 Victor Walikota Surabaya Cup.
Tags: