Senior shuttler Liew Darren finally ended his national hoodoo, by securing the Perak Open title after a closely fought battle against Goh Soon Huat. The victory marks Darren’s first ever local title, despite competing actively for the past nine years.
Soon Huat started the stronger of the pair, seizing the first set 17-21. But Darren fought back valiantly and reaped rewards for his efforts in the second set, winning it 21-14.
As expected, the rubber set was filled with plenty of drama and action. With the score tied at 15-15, Soon Huat suffered a minor wrist injury, though he immediately switched into gung ho mode after receiving treatment, taking a 20-17 lead.
Nonetheless, Darren kept his cool and pushed hard enough to fight for every single point. And incredibly enough, he defeated Soon Huat 22-20 to conclude a pulsating affair that lasted for almost 78 minutes.
“It has taken me so long to win my first local title and I will surely cherish it,” he told The Star after triumphing on Sunday.
“Soon Huat really made my life difficult today. I had to work so hard for every point. I did not panic but remained cool despite trailing 17-20. That was the key to my victory today.” he added.
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