Takuma Ueda defeats Keigo Sonoda to enter into Men’s Singles main round - Japan Open Super Series
Takuma Ueda of Japan powered his way through to the Men’s Singles main round after beating compatriot, Keigo Sonoda in the qualifying round of the 2011 Japan Open Super Series, in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, September 20.
Ueda is World Number 38 in the Men’s Singles standings and top seed in the qualifying round of the Japan Open. He lived up to expectations and qualified for the main round after working extra hard against World Number 70, Sonoda. The higher ranked Japanese
had to dig deep into his reserves to beat his team-mate in a three-set fight. He emerged as the winner with a close margin, in 65 minutes.
Ueda opened the first game in an authoritative manner as he played with an incredible finishing touch in his stokes, and reached at 11-6 without facing any resistance from his opponent. Sonoda could not match the speed and accuracy of his higher ranked compatriot
as he made some mistakes at the crucial stage of the game, which helped Ueda to win the first game with a 21-13 margin in 18 minutes.
In the following set, both shuttlers played tremendous badminton and progressed with the same pace until the concluding phase of the set. The score reached at the crucial stage of 19-19, when the higher ranked Ueda made a blunder and lost the set with the
margin of 19-21 by taking 23 minutes in the court.
The third game also entertained the local crowd, as both Japanese shuttlers showed their class by playing flawless badminton. No one could manage a lead until the score entered into the concluding part of the match.
Ueda changed his tactics at the end and played positive badminton, which earned him much needed points and he won the game in 24 minutes with a 21-19 score on the board. The concluding score of this 65-minute qualifying-round match was 21-13, 19-21 and 21-19.
In the first match of Men’s Singles main round, Ueda will be up against Suppanyu Avihingsanon of Thailand.
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