Bengaluru Blasters vs Awadhe Warriors, Awadhe Warriors won by 4-3: PBL 2nnThat the former Indian national champion had got his reading of t...
Bengaluru Blasters vs Awadhe Warriors, Awadhe Warriors won by 4-3: PBL 2nnThat the former Indian national champion had got his reading of the situation spot on could be seen on Monday night, when Saina extracted sweet revenge for her defeat in the November 2016 Hong Kong Open at the hands of the Hong Kong China ace, Cheung Ngan Yi, with a gritty, come-from-behind 9-11, 11-5, 11-5 triumph.nnPlaying her women’s singles match as the crucial trump for Awadhe Warriors, the 26-year-old Indian shuttle queen overcame a slow start, to hit her straps from the onset of the second game, and emerge victorious in most of the lengthy rallies that she engaged Cheung in. The two points she delivered were INSTRUMENTAL in her team’s narrow 4-3 victory over Bengaluru Blasters, and ensured their qualification for the semi-finals.nnThe IMPORTANCE of Saina’s trump match against Cheung tended to cast a veil over an equally impressive performance from Kidambi Srikanth, who lowered the colours of Denmark’s world number three and Olympic bronze medallist, Viktor Axelsen, by a 11-9, 11-9 scoreline, in the third match of the tie, at a stage when the two teams were tied at a point apiece.nnThe leading Indian male player that he is, Srikanth (whose ranking has dipped to number 15, though he has touched a high point of number three in June-July 2015) boasts three victories in this tournament in four outings, including wins over the two TOP Danish stars, Jan O Jorgensen and Axelsen, who are ranked second and third on the BWF ladder, and who had helped their country to the Thomas Cup team title last year.nnSrikanth’s only blip has come against compatriot Ajay Jayaram, when he failed to convert a brace of match-points in the second game, and showed traces of fatigue in the decider. nFrom a deficit of 5-10, the former Indian national champion saved six game-points before wresting the opening game, literally from the lion’s mouth, at 13-11. Despite his lack of power, Saurabh displays beautifully smooth movements on the court, and employs fine shuttle skills to stamp his authority on a match. The loss of the opening game broke Vincent’s mental resistance, and the Indian induced him to capitulate in the second without much resistance.nnIn the mixed doubles, although the untried combination of Ko Sung Hyun and Sikki Reddy lacked the finer points of combination, to go down in three games to Thailand’s world number 12 duo of Bodin Issara and Savitree Amitrapai, the 23-year-old Indian left-hander showed sufficient prowess to suggest that she will be a force to reckon with in the paired events.nnSikki’s excellent control at the net and swift movements on the court suggest that it is time India paired her with Ashwini Ponnappa in the women’s doubles. Jwala Gutta, who has undoubtedly been a magnificent doubles player in her heyday, currently appears well past her prime, and positively lacks the speed and fitness to make an effective combination with the hard-working Ashwini.nnScores: Awadhe Warriors beat Bengaluru Blasters 4-3 (Vincent Wong Wing Ki lost to Saurabh Verma 11-13, 7-11; Bodin Issara and Savitree Amitrapai beat Ko Sung Hyun and N. Sikki Reddy 11-9, 4-11, 11-5; Kidambi Srikanth beat Viktor Axelsen 11-9, 11-9; Saina Nehwal (trump) beat Cheung Ngan Yi 9-11, 11-5, 11-5; Markis Kido and Goh V. Shem lost to Ko Sung Hyun and Yoo Yeon Seong (trump) 11-6, 9-11, 6-11)nn2017 Premier Badminton League complete team squadsnnDelhi AcersnnIndia players- Ajay Jayaram, Shikha Gautam, Akshay Dewalkar, PC Thulasi and Aparna BalannnForeign - Rajiv Ouseph, Tommy Sugiarto, ,Koo Kien Keat, Tan Boon Heong and Gabrielle AdcocknnHyderabad HuntersnnIndia players- Siril Verma, Parupalli Kashyap, Jwala Gutta, J Meghana, K Nandagopal and R Satwik Sai RajnnForeign - Markis Kido, Lee Chong Wei, Supanida Katethong andCarsten Mogensen,nnMumbai RocketsnnIndia players - Prannoy Kumar, RM Gurusaidutt, Mannu Attri andRuthwika Gadde,nnForeign - Han Li, Liu Zi Die, Chayut Triyachart, Vladmir Ivanov, Mathias Boe and Kamilla Rytter JuhlnnAwadhe WarriorsnnIndia players - B Sai Praneeth, Sourabh Verma, K Maneesha, Saina Nehwal, G Vrushali,nnForeign - Cai Yun, , Bodin Isara, Hendra Gunawan, Christinna Pedersen , S. TanongsaknnBengaluru TopgunsnnIndia players - Anand Pawar, Sameer Verma, Kidambi Srikanth, B Sumeeth Reddy and Ashwinin PonnappannForeign - Suo Dui, Tan Boon Heong, Koon Kien Keat, Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Robert BlairnnChennai Smashers nnIndia players - PV Sindhu, Sri Krishna Priya, Pranav Chopra and N. Sikki ReddynnForeign - Brice Leverdez, Sony Dwi Kuncoro, Simon Santoso, Chris Adcock, Toby Ng and Pia Zebadiah BernadethnSix franchises will vie for top honours in five cities — Delhi, nnLucknow, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru — in the tournament which will run till January 14.nnTeams:nAwadhe Warriors nBangaluru TopgunsnChennai Smashers nDelhi AcersnHyderabad Hunters nMumbai RocketsnnPresented by Avinash Singh, Khel SangramnLabel : KAT Media © Less
