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Indian badminton league : Saina trumps Sindhu
Pusarla Venkata Sindhu goes down to Saina Nehwal in IBL - Indian Badminton League: Saina Nehwal vs PV Sindhu - Touted as the match of the tournament, Hyderabad Hotshots’ Saina Nehwal came out victorious against Awadhe Warriors’ P.V. Sindhu, as the Deccan team won the Indian Badminton League (IBL) tie 3-2 here Thursday.
‘Queen’ gives flying start to Hyderabad Hotshots
New Delhi (IANS): Touted as the match of the tournament, Hyderabad Hotshots’ Saina Nehwal came out victorious against Awadhe Warriors’ P.V. Sindhu, as the Deccan team won the Indian Badminton League (IBL) tie 3-2 here Thursday.
With the win, the Hotshots bagged four points (including a bonus) while the Warriors had to be content with two.
The Hotshots icon player won the match 21-19, 21-8 in front of a capacity crowd who had turned out in huge numbers to see the two Indian shuttle queens take on each other for the first time in a competitive match at the Siri Fort Sports Complex. Finance minister P.C. Chidambaram was also present and wished them before the Independence Day clash.
The second match of the day started with Sindhu kicking off in fantastic fashion by continuing her World Championship form, with a lead of 8-4 against the World No.4. The 18-year-old excelled at the net outpacing Saina.
But the Olympic bronze medallist displayed her skills and retrieved several smashes from Sindhu to level the score at 9-9. Sindhu’s all-round court coverage proved decisive and she reverted back by taking a crucial 15-10 lead. But the 23-year-old Saina found legs and bagged the next seven points to take the lead for the first time in the match (17-15). Sindhu fought back and reduced Saina’s lead to 18-17.
At this time, the crowd did not know who to support as they would chant Saina’s name at one moment and Sindhu’s in the next. National coach and mentor of the duo Pullela Gopichand stood relaxed at a distance and smiled seeing the level of competition of his protégés.
Saina’s showed who is the more experienced of the two and in the end was easily able to seal the game. The senior Hyderabadi started the second game in aggressive fashion against the 18-year-old. Though Sindhu matched her senior at the start, a deceptive and aggressive Saina took flight and raced away to a 7-4 advantage.
