Vietnamese badminton player Le Duc Phat celebrates his victory over his Indian opponent Samarveer, winning the Lagos International Classics 2024 in Nigeria.
The matchup between the two players with ideal heights quickly became exciting with intense rallies, often ending with powerful smashes. Phat played well in the first game, especially in situations where he pulled the birdie close to the net to gradually widen the gap, eventually winning 21-9.
Vietnamese badminton player Le Duc Phat celebrates his victory over his Indian opponent Samarveer, winning the Lagos International Classics 2024 in Nigeria.
Samarveer started the second game well, bringing to bear pressure on the Vietnamese opponent. The Indian player led 4-0 and extended the score to 12-3 by significantly improving the accuracy of his serves.
Trailing by 9 points, Phat played cautiously, carefully placing each shot to gradually close the gap and eventually level the score at 18-18. However, Samarveer then scored 3 consecutive points to win 21-18, earning him an equalizer after two games.
The decisive game continued to be very thrilling as both players fought for every point. Phat once again scored 5 consecutive points to lead 10-5. However, Samarveer improved his play and equalized the score at 13-13.
The climax of the match came when Phat led 20-18, but Samarveer saved 2 match points and leveled the score at 20-20. Minutes into the end of the game, the Vietnamese player secured 2 more points to win 22-20, thereby clinching the trophy in a dramatic finish.
The Lagos International Classics 2024 took place in Lagos, Nigeria, from August 28-31, an International Challenge-level event organized by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) with a total prize pool of US$15,000.
Vietnamese badminton legend Nguyen Tien Minh claimed the title at the Lagos International Classics 2019.