Wang Yihan topples Li Xuerui in final round of 2013 Badminton Asia Championships
Women’s Singles expert Wang Yihan served the notice of her class in final round of Badminton Asia Championships and earned the right to be on top of the victory stand on Sunday, April 21, 2013.
This title match pit her against another Chinese campaigner Li Xuerui and both compatriot shuttlers kept the audience intact for 34 minutes.
They challenged each other in all departments of game and entertained the crowd while registering the concluding figures of 21-15 and 21-13.
The battle heated up straight away in the establishing rallies of first set as both contenders made every effort to gain an early advantage. They put all they had to oust the opponent but neither of them could enjoy a permanent lead.
Initially, the Olympic champion Li Xuerui dominated in couple of rallies but then few back-to-back mistakes weakened her grip over game.
Wang Yihan, who was second seeded in this tournament, did not squander this opportunity and established a decent lead in no time.
She made best out of this psychological advantage and finished first half of the set with a mountainous figure of 11.
After the one-minute break, Li Xuerui pocketed some valuable points but her fluctuated performance was not enough to tip the scale in her favour. She kept on making mistakes and allowed the opposing shuttlers to proceed on the points table.
Wang Yihan maintained a significant difference of six points and swept the table with 21-15 margin.
The second set of match proved just a replay of previous one as both contenders were poles apart in terms of performance.
Li Xuerui, who was hot favourite to win this esteemed event, could not end her bad patch and surrendered tamely in this crucial segment of the final contest.
On the other hand, Wang Yihan showed consistency in her performance and proved herself true Women’s Singles champion.
She laid foundation of her dominance without any delay and piled up an unassailable lead. She bagged many points without any interruption and doubled her total way before the interval.
After the half time, she ruled the court without any major trouble and claimed the crown with 21-13 score on the board.
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