Chennai Smashers beat Awadhe Warriors 4-1 to qualify for Vodafone PBL final

Team Udayavani, Jan 14, 2017, 10:32 AM IST

New Delhi: Chennai Smashers beat Awadhe Warriors 4-1 to qualify for the finals of the Vodafone Premier Badminton League Season 2, powered by Maruti Suzuki at the Siri Fort Indoor Stadium, here on Friday. The tie was billed as the clash of titans and all eyes were set on the blockbuster match between Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu.

As had expected, it was a gripping encounter and the match did prove to have a great impact on the outcome of the tie. Smashers who came into the match trailing 1-2, needed Sindhu to deliver the goods as a win in the match would not only give them two crucial points considering it was their trump match but also keep them afloat in the tie.

The fans who had poured in numbers to see the mega encounter were not disappointed as two of the best shuttlers of the country dished out a cracker of a match with Sindhu finally winning 11-7, 11-8 in 27 minutes to put her team 3-2 ahead in the tie as well as earning the bragging rights over her much experienced compatriot.

Starting the match, it was a close battle between both the players and it was Saina who went into the interval with a 6-5 lead. After the break, it was Sindhu who stepped on the pedal and after moving together on points broke away to take four consecutive points to win the first game.

In the second game, it was Sindhu who started off an attacking note and raced to an early 6-2 lead, but Saina fought back to restore parity. However, Sindhu was in no mood to let go off the good start she got and some exquisite shots finished the game 11-8 to win the match.

Starting the day, it was Warriors who started the tie on a rousing note as their mixed doubles pair of Bodin Isara and Savitree Amitrapai beat the Adcock couple Chris and Gabrielle 9-11, 11-8, 11-5 to take an early 1-0 lead.

In the second match, P Kashyap of Smashers beat Vincent Wong Wing Ki of Warriors 11-4, 11-6 to restore parity.

The third match was the men’s singles tie between Kidambi Srikanth of Awadhe taking on Tommy Sugiarto of Chennai. Srikanth who has been going through a great run of form throughout the tournament did not disappoint and won the match 14-12, 11-7 to help his team go 2-1 up in the tie.

Sindhu won the next match and with 4-2 lead, it was down to the men’s doubles match to decide the result of the tie. And playing in their trump match, V Shem Goh and Markis Kido of Warriors who have been on a roll throughout the league failed to produce the level of performance that was expected out of them from them as went down 11-3, 12-10 in a rather meek fashion to Chris Adcock and Mads Pieler Kolding of Smashers.