Ratchanok Intanon outshines Juliane Schenk in group stage of 2012 BWF Superseries Finals
Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon registered her presence in BWF Superseries Finals by thrashing Juliane Schenk of Germany in the group stage of Women’s Singles event on December 12, 2012.
Both shuttlers remained head-to-head for 48 minutes and this hard fought tussle ended with final figures of 21-17 and 22-20.
World Number four Juliane Schenk, who is second seeded player of this prestigious tournament, was expected to overcome the lower ranked Thai campaigner but she proved all the predictions wrong by putting a below par performance.
The young but talented Ratchanok performed beyond expectations and sealed a straight-set victory.
She laid foundation of her dominance immediately in the beginning of first set and maintained that upper hand all the way to second set.
In the opening game, she was bit sluggish in the beginning and this passive approach kept her at lower end in the establishing rallies.
However, Ratchanok did not take much time to gain the required momentum. She bagged many valuable points in a row after 7-7 and finished first half of the set with a respectable score position. She was in a commanding position with 11-8 when few unforced errors weakened her grip.
The German player made a swift progress on points table and brought the contest to right balance. Juliane Schenk prevailed in couple of back-to-back rallies and put her opponent under huge pressure.
However, the spirited Thai shuttler did not lose nerve and reinstated her supremacy when it mattered. She bagged six out of ending eight points to place a winning margin of 21-17.
The following game proved real test of mental and physical fitness for both contenders as they put all in their possession to achieve their respective goals.
Ratchanok was looking to transform her 1-0 lead into straight-set victory whereas Juliane Schenk was trying to avoid a woeful defeat.
They challenged each other in all areas of the game and made this segment a memorable contest.
They remained equal until the concluding moments and finally this cliff-hanging tussle ended when Ratchanok Intanon piled an impressive total of 22-20.
Now the Thai player is scheduled to meet Saina Nehwal of India in her next group match of this Super Series.
Tags: