Dominant Oktila cruises to SL 4 gold in Glasgow
Indonesia’s Leani Ratri Oktila overcame the odds to beat top seed Helle Sofie Sagøy in straight games to win gold in the women’s singles SL 4 final.
The Paralympic silver medalist never lost control of the match, taking the first game 21-18 and then closing out the match with a dominant 21 to 12 game win.
Although Oktila would eventually take over, she and Sagøy traded points evenly in the opening game. At 17 points apiece, both were competitive but it was evident that the Norwegian Sagøy was being made to work harder for her points.
A strong smash by Oktila took her to the brink of the opening game at 19 to 17, with that gap being enough to see out Sagøy who must’ve been frustrated given the effort she put into the even opening rallies.
This frustration would only continue to surmount in the second game as Oktila controlled the centre court. This forced Sagøy into further running with little reward, trailing 11 to 5 at the interval.
Oktila’s control deserved credit as she strolled into a commanding lead. Forcing Sagøy to the net, the Indonesian would time her clears perfectly to leave her opponent with no chance to return. If required, she would also exchange with Sagøy at the net to great effect.
Taking the second game 21 to 12, Oktila completed a comfortable win against an incredibly capable opponent. This gold medal would be the start of a gold-ridden finals day for Indonesia at the 4 Nations International.
By Nathan Hassett