Sindhu can’t stop Blasters’ victory
CHENNAI: Bengaluru Blasters rose to the top of the Premier Badminton League table with a sensational fight back against Chennai Smashers here on Monday.
Chennai, who were at the bottom of the table with 9 points before this match, started on a rousing note by winning the men’s doubles and women’s singles that fetched them three points. But thereafter, Bengaluru came roaring back by winning the two men’s singles and mixed doubles to garner two points from this duel, which they won 3-2.
It swelled their points tally to 15 and helped them displace Hyderabad Hunters (14 points) from the top.
It was not a bad day at all for Chennai as they garnered three points initially from their final league game that puts them on par with Awadhe Warriors and Ahmedabad Smash Masters, all on 12 points each though Ahmedabad have played a match less.
Earlier, Sindhu upstaged Kristy Gilmour in her trump match 15-9, 15-14. Although the Scottish girl threatened to take the contest into the third game, Sindhu sealed it in the second game which was a tie-breaker.
Sindhu, however, could not carry that form in the mixed doubles as the Indian star pairing with Chris Adcock went down to the formidable combination of N Sikki Reddy and Kim Sa Rang 14-15, 11-15. World No1 Viktor Axelsen began Bengaluru’s fightback by winning a tough singles match against Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk.