Riga Oud intercepts Dominic Buckell in Men’s Singles event of Division 2 - Slazenger Cup 2012
Men’s Singles expert Riga Oud stamped his supremacy over Dominic Buckell and ensured his team’s victory in Division 2 - Slazenger Cup at Hamilton, New Zealand on August 9, 2012.
This tussle was part of a match between Auckland and Waikato and both shuttlers remained head-to-head for three gruelling sets.
There was lot of drama in this showdown as Dominic gained an early advantage by winning opening game but then he blundered in two consecutive sets and allowed Riga to lock the honour in splendid fashion.
The Waikato shuttler aroused the hopes of his supporters by claiming first match point. He was bit sluggish in the beginning but then couple of productive rallies kick-started his campaign.
He never looked back after getting into right momentum and left his rival far behind by gathering valuable points at a steady pace.
Dominic did not lose this rhythm throughout first half and placed a respectable total of 11 before the mid-game break.
However, he lost grip after the interval when his challenger stormed back with a strong reply. He remained at lower end until game point situation but then struck hard to finish the first set with a favourable margin of 21-19.
Next game completely changed the scenario as Riga Oud smacked his opponent with a staggering knock.
The Auckland campaigner did not repeat previous mistakes and launched a brisk attack to establish an immediate lead.
He started the beating from very first shot and kept his competitor grounded until the game point situation. This time his craft was a fine blend of power packed campaigns and deceiving net play.
Dominic did not have any reply to his unbeatable tactics and surrendered after reading 9-21 score on the board.
This revised status brought life back into the match and spectators were expecting a nerve-racking fight in the decider but their thirst was not filled properly.
Men’s Singles expert Riga Oud continued with his top form and proved himself superior in all areas of the game.
He maintained a significant difference throughout the third set and swept the table with an overwhelming figure of 21-7.
This concluded the second Singles tie of the match and Riga raised hands as champion with final result of 19-21, 21-9 and 21-7.
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