Antara kejutan hari terakhir peringkat kumpulan Grand Prix (GP) Final Kebangsaan menyaksikan juara sirkit pertama dan kedua, Chong Wei Feng, tersingkir di tangan perseorangan kebangsaan, Lim Chi Wing.
Dalam aksi perseorangan lelaki, hanya juara kumpulan layak ke pentas separuh akhir, secara tidak langsung memaksa para pemain untuk mempamerkan aksi konsisten sepanjang saingan.
Paling genting adalah aksi Kumpulan B dengan Chi Wing dan Wei Feng masing-masing memiliki dua kemenangan.
Ini bermakna, hanya pemenang antara perlawanan mereka berupaya memiliki tiket berentap di separuh akhir.
"Saya tidak tertekan kerana dia (Wei Feng) merupakan pemain senior dan saya mempertaruhkan segalanya," kata Chi Wing.
Aksi set pertama memberi bayangan kemenangan mudah mungkin menjadi milik Wei Feng selepas dia unggul dengan kemenangan 21-8.
Bagaimanapun, Chi Wing berupaya bangkit menyusun strategi pada set berikutnya untuk mengikat kedudukan hasil kemenangan 21-13.
Set ketiga terus sengit dengan kedua-dua pemain mengekori rapat kedudukan sehinggalah di penghujung aksi dengan pendekatan agresif Chi Wing berhasil menoktahkan kemenangan 21-17.
"Pada set pertama, fikiran saya belum matang lagi kerana kurang sabar dalam permainan.
"Pada set kedua, jurulatih berpesan agar saya memberi fokus untuk memungut satu demi satu mata dan bermain dengan selamat.
"Pada set ketiga, permainan kami lebih kurang sama. Cuma saya berasakan permainan saya lebih selamat dan lebih menyerang."
Shaiful Shamsudin
Fri Dec 09 2016
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