Riichi Takeshita outshines Xue Song in title match of 2013 New Zealand Badminton Open
Men’s Singles crown of SKYCITY New Zealand Badminton Open belonged to Riichi Takeshita as he thrashed Xue Song in the final round on Sunday, April 14, 2013.
This title match proved a real test for both shuttlers as it prolonged to 62 minutes before ending with final figures of 21-16, 16-21 and 21-17.
The victorious shuttler prevailed in the opening and ending segments of the showdown and earned the right to stand on top position on the victory stand.
On the other hand, the young Chinese campaigner had to walk out empty handed despite of putting an honest effort.
The battle heated up straight away in the beginning of first set as Riichi Takeshita unleashed a flurry of power packed strokes and established a decent lead.
He capitalised this initial advantage and doubled his total in next couple of rallies. The Japanese player displayed unbeatable craft on court and managed to finish first half of the set with a favourable score position.
After the mid-game break, Xue Song showed some spark and challenged his rival in all areas of game but then his fluctuated performance forced him to surrender with 16-21 margin.
However, the Chinese shuttler did not lose heart even after this blow. He showed a transformed character in very next game and turned his competitor’s plans of a straight-set victory into dust.
This time Xue Song did not repeat previous mistakes and gained a decent lead immediately in the beginning.
He played with great precision and did not give his opponent even a single chance to proceed on the points table.
This unbeatable strategy helped him to pile up a mountainous total before the one-minute interval. After the half time, Xue Song widened the gap on points table and wrapped this segment of showdown with 21-16 score.
The decider became crucial after this development and both contenders put all they had to oust the opponent.
They stood toe-to-toe in the establishing rallies but then Riichi Takeshita struck hard and tipped the scale in his favour.
He registered a winning margin of 21-17 and claimed the Men’s Singles crown of New Zealand Badminton Open.
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