Sourabh Verma and Kristy Gilmour helped Ahmedabad Smash Masters continue their unbeaten run in the Premier Badminton League with a thrilling 4-3 win over Bengaluru Raptors on Friday.
Ahmedabad’s Trump pair of Satwiksairaj and Sikki Reddy started the day with a 13-15, 15-11, 15-14 win over Bengaluru’s Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith to put their team 2-0 up.
The Indians’ impressive fightback in the first game fell short but Sikki’s sublime net-game helped them turn around their fortunes and build a lead of 8-4, which they extended to 15-11 to level the match.
Satwik and Sikki then showed nerves of steel to save a couple of match points in an enthralling decider to get the vital 2 points for their team.
Russian Open champion Sourabh Verma overpowered Raptors’ Sai Praneeth to pocket the first game 15-11.
Sai played more aggressively in the second game to win it 15-11 but Verma won the riveting decider to put the Smash Masters 3-0 up.
Former World No 1 Kidambi Srikanth won a oscillating match against the Smash Masters’ Daren Liew.
The Bengaluru skipper played his usual attacking shots to take the first game 15-9. The change of ends did not help the Indian as he lost the second game 6-15. Srikanth, however, bounced back and raced to an 8-0 lead before wrapping up the decider 15-11.
Bengaluru always had the advantage in men’s doubles with two-time former world champions Hendra Setiawan and Mohammad Ahsan being in their line-up.
The revered Indonesian pair, Bengaluru’s Trump for the night, lived up to its expectation with a 15-13, 15-9 win over Ahmedabad’s Nandagopal Kidambi and Lee Chun Hei Reginald that levelled the tie at 3-3.
CWG bronze medallist Kirsty Gilmour completed the roaring comeback for the Smash Masters with a 15-8, 15-13 win over Bengaluru’s Vu Thi Trang to seal the contest 4-3.
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