US Open 2012: Chun Seang stamps Hock Lai to surge into second round of Men’s Singles event
Malaysia’s talented campaigner Chun Seang Tan trounced Hock Lai Lee to make it to the second round of Men’s Singles event in Yonex OCBC US Open GPG on July 2, 2012.
Their opening match lasted for 48 minutes before ending with final results of 21-10, 20-22 and 21-13.
The victorious shuttler played with great conviction to overcome his opponent who was having slight edge of home ground and crowd.
World Number 49 player Chun Seang prevailed in first and last set while his challenger could live his moment of glory only in the second segment.
The Malaysian opened his marathon with a low profile as he kept trailing behind in the beginning. He committed a couple of unforced errors after 3-3 and allowed his rival to climb up to a 7-3 score position.
However, he woke up in time and counter-balanced the situation with six uninterrupted rallies. He caught the opposing shuttler at 7-7 and then never looked back while finishing the first half with a decent total of 11-8.
After the interval, Chun Seang played flawless badminton. He mounted pressure by placing 15-9 margin and sealed 21-10 victory by gathering last six points in a row.
Next game proved a cliff-hanging contest as both players put all they had to achieve their respective goals.
At one stage, the Malaysian shuttler was in a strong position to wrap the show in just two games but Hock Lai stormed back and turned his plan into dust.
The local shuttler proved himself a late bloomer as he was at the lower end until 15-19 but then he started fetching valuable points at a steady pace.
He narrowed the gap by clinching three consecutive points and then survived this nerve-racking battle with a concluding figure of 22-20.
Chun Seang, who is also fourth seeded player of the event, proved his class in third and final set. He employed all of his brilliance in the game to oust his spirited but inexperienced competitor.
He set the foundation of his dominance by bagging first half with 11-7 total and then stole the limelight with a notable difference in 21-13 margin.
Now he will lock horns with Canadian shuttler Sergiy Shatenko to win a pre quarter-final spot in this Grand Prix Gold event.
Tags: