Swedish International Stockholm: Dieter Domke overwhelms Carl Baxter in Men’s Singles first round
Germany’s Dieter Domke got the better of England’s Carl Baxter in Men’s Singles first round of the 2012 Swedish International Stockholm, in Sweden, on Friday, January 20.
Domke, who is World Number 79, had to work hard to beat his higher ranked opponent, Baxter, who has been ranked at number 71 in the world.
The German played wonderful badminton and won the fight against English shuttler and ended the match in three games by taking 50 minutes in the court.
Baxter tried his best to dominate the game in deciding set but failed to trouble his lower ranked rival and lost the match without impressing the crowd.
The opening rallies of first game were fast as both men played at their maximum speed. The score was 5-5 when Domke started to control the pace of rallies. He targeted the side lines of his challenger’s court and executed perfect smashes to take an 11-7 lead until the break.
After the break, Domke remained on track as he did not let his rival to level the score in entire game. He played fast badminton by taking the bird early and won the first set with a striking difference of 21-15.
In the following set, both shuttlers snapped each other’s heel until 6-6 when the English showed his class and managed to take a wonderful lead of 11-7 until the interval.
However, after the break, Domke lifted his level and managed to end the lead of his rival by reaching 16-16. But he lost his control at this crucial stage and lost the set with a 17-21 score on the board.
In the deciding game, Baxter played superb badminton and scored six points in a row to reach at 6-0. However, Domke responded in the similar manner as he took seven points in a row to end his rival’s domination. Until the break, Baxter was ahead of lower ranked Domke at 11-10.
After the break, both players remained toe-to-toe and reached at 14-14. At this stage, Domke increased his speed and manage to dominate rallies at net area.
The German remained positive at this crucial stage and won the final set with a margin of 21-17. He bagged this 50-minute match with a score of 21-15, 17-21 and 21-17.
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