Srikanth, Praneeth help Raptors beat Warriors, enter PBL final
BENGALURU: Home team Bengaluru Raptors were depending on stars Kidambi Srikanth and B Sai Praneeth to guide them against Awadhe Warriors in the first semi-finals of the Premier Badminton League here and the duo delivered.
After losing the first game, Bengaluru bounced back through them to demolish Awadhe Warriors 4-2 and storm into the final at the Kanteerava Stadium here on Friday.
Awadhe Warriors started on the right note with the mixed doubles pairing of Mathias Christiansen and Ashwini Ponnappa defeating Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith 15-7, 15-10. Since it was their trump match, Awadhe got an extra point, going 2-0 up. Local girl Ponnappa got backing from the crowd as the pair delighted with their skills at the net.
Sai Praneeth brought Raptors into contention by thumping Lee Dong Keun 15-9, 15-4. Sai, down to No 22 in world rankings, has not been able to do justice to his talent at international level. But his range of strokes was a treat to watch. A drop shot at 4-4 and a smart flick at the net took him to 8-5 in the first game. His smashes were lethal, leaving Lee stranded on occasions.
The most-awaited match between two former world No 1s, Srikanth and Son Wan Ho of Korea, didn’t exactly set the stage on fire but the Indian did enough to level terms (2-2) for the Raptors. Srikanth won 15-7, 15-10, extending his winning streak in the league to seven matches.
Awadhe Warriors, who topped the table in the league stage with 25 points, were now staring down the barrel. Their men’s doubles pair of Lee Yang and Mathias Christiansen needed to win to keep them afloat. For the Raptors, it was their trump match and Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan, former World No 1 pair from Indonesia, romped to a 15-14, 15-9 victory.
In the thrilling opening game, Ahsan and Setiawan picked up their game at crucial points to take the lead. In the second game, the Bengaluru pair stamped their class as Lee and Mathias fizzled out.