Sai Praneeth tames Riichi Takeshita to surge into Men’s Singles main draw - Japan Open Update
India’s spirited shuttler Sai Praneeth B. continued with his top form and marched into the main round of the Yonex Japan Open after beating Riichi Takeshita in the qualifying round on September 18, 2012.
Sai Praneeth, who was a third seeded player in the preliminary stage, stamped his supremacy over the local shuttler with a favourable result of 21-14 and 21-15 after a 30-minute contest.
This Men’s Singles tie held in Yoyogi National Stadium of Tokyo attracted a decent number of badminton lovers.
However, the local crowd could not find any reason to celebrate as the native shuttler knelt down after putting a below par performance.
Though, Riichi Takeshita entertained his supporters by prevailing in a couple of opening rallies but he lacked good finishing skills which ultimately cost him a ticket to the main round.
In first set of the match, he kick-started his expedition with four consecutive points but he failed to withstand a strong backlash of his rival.
The Indian player prevailed in couple of back-to-back rallies and established a decent lead with 9-5 margin.
At this stage, the Japanese shuttler put a laudable effort and levelled the score just before the interval but he could not make best out of this campaign and frittered away this counter-attack opportunity.
Later part of the game also belonged to Sai Praneeth who outclassed his opponent technically and tactically. This time he did not lose focus and swept the table with an overwhelming figure of 21-14.
This timely win boosted his confidence and the youngster played next game with similar perfection and conviction.
Riichi Takeshita strived hard to keep the contest alive but he could not make any difference in the match score position.
In first half of the set, he remained close on points table until 6-6 and then gained a decent advantage in 9-7 total but his supremacy was short lived.
Sai Praneeth reinstated his dominance with few successive points before the break and then magnified the impact by registering a decisive figure of 21-15.
However, real challenge awaits him in the opening round of main draw where he is going to meet Daren Liew of Malaysia.
Tags: