Syed Saad Ali ensures his presence in semi-finals of Karnataka State Ranking Badminton Tournament
Boy’s Singles campaigner Syed Saad Ali remained invincible in the quarter-final round of Belgaum 3 Star Karnataka State Ranking Badminton Tournament as he outclassed Vasishta Suresh on September 3, 2012.
This hard fought tussle kept both shuttlers head-to-head for three gruelling sets and ended with final result of 23-25, 21-19 and 21-16.
The top seeded shuttler of the event employed all of his brilliance in the game and locked the honour by claiming the last two match points.
Meanwhile, Vasishta squandered his early advantage and crashed out of the tournament after kneeling down in crucial moments.
The opening game set the overall tempo of match as both contenders challenged each other in all departments of game.
They did not allow each other to gain a permanent lead and stood toe-to-toe all the way to game point situation.
In the first half of the set, Vasishta prevailed in couple of uninterrupted rallies and pushed his rival on the back-foot. He maintained the upper hand until half time but then a few unforced errors weakened his grip.
Saad did not fritter away this counter-attack opportunity and narrowed the gap immediately after the interval.
Later part of the game was a real feast for the eyes as both shuttlers kept the audience intact with a splendid show of badminton skills.
They kept on chasing each other until Vasishta took a giant leap to a final score position of 25-23.
The following set was also played in same manner as at one stage Vasishta was in a strong position to wrap the showdown in just two games but then the opposing shuttler turned the tables with a staggering knock.
Though, Saad had a horrendous start but he did not lose heart and made amends by showing elevated craft in the second half of the set.
He played with great conviction and setup a nerve-racking decider by registering a decisive figure of 21-19.
He did not lose his touch in third set of the match and sealed the 2-1 victory in an impressive manner.
Saad placed a winning margin of 21-16 and marched into the semi-final round of the tournament.
Now he will swing his arms against Rohit Karnatak to reserve the right to be in the title match.
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