PBL 2018-19: Srikanth, Praneeth star as Bengaluru edges NE Warriors

The two points gained as Saina Nehwal won her trump match was not enough for the North Eastern Warriors which narrowly went down 4-3 against Bengaluru Raptors.

Bengaluru Raptors sealed the tie when Sai Praneeth bounced back to beat China’s Tian Houwei 12-15, 15-6, 15-7.

The two points that came from Saina Nehwal's win in North Eastern Warriors' trump match could not prevent the Bengaluru Raptors from winning the tie 4-3. The Raptors sealed the tie when Sai Praneeth bounced back to beat China’s Tian Houwei 12-15, 15-6, 15-7.

Saina Nehwal won her match against Vietnam’s Thi Thrang Vu in straight sets 15-10, 15-7.

For the Raptors the men’s doubles pair in Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan won their Trump match to get two points and then Kidambi Srikanth brushed aside Thailand’s Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in straight games to pick up the third point.

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Mumbai Rockets cruise past Chennai Smashers

Sameer Verma clinched a third win for Mumbai Rockets in the Premier Badminton League as he defeated Chennai Smashers' Parupalli Kashyap at `The Arena by SE TransStadia’ in Ahmedabad on Saturday. The Rockets won the men’s doubles thereafter to take the tie score to an impressive 5-0 against the Chennai Smashers.

As it happened

Verma’s match was nominated as the trump match and the world no 12 did not let down his team as he picked up two crucial points.

The 24-year-old Verma who won the Syed Modi International Championship came on to the court with a clean record of four wins in the league this season. He was the odds-on favourite to put it across against Kashyap, but was outwitted 12-15 in the opening game by his more experienced rival who kept the shuttle in play with deft placements.

Sameer Verma overcame a highly comptetitive second game where many points were decided after a tussle at the net and gradually started to take control of the match and went on to win the decider.

Sameer Verma defeated Parupalli Kashyap 12-15, 15-13, 15-9.

 

Mumbai Rockets hit the ground running as Anders Antonsen won the first men’s singles against Rajiv Ouseph and the mixed doubles pair of Kim Gi Jung and Pia Zebadiah Bernadet beat Chris and Gabby Adcock in the Smashers' trump match.

South Korean Sung Ji Hyun gave a glimmer of hope to Chennai Smashers with a crushing victory over Anura Prabhudesai, but Verma remained focussed to score his fifth win in as many matches and  take Rockets to the top of the league table.

The results: