Manu and Sumeeth clinch maiden GP title at Mexico Open

India’s men’s doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy ended the season on a high by claiming their maiden Grand Prix title with a straight-game win over Thailand’s Bodin Issara and Nipitphon Puangpuapech in the finals of Mexico Open.

The third seeded Indian pair, who had reached the finals of US Open and Dutch Open, finally lay their hands on a grand prix title when they defeated Bodin and Nipitphon 22-20 21-18 in a 35-minute battle at the Centro Deportivo Chapultepec AC on Sunday.

“They’re the no 1 pair of Thailand, so it was tough match for us as we had lost to them in the last tournament (K&D Graphics Grand Prix in California). But we played really good and it was our day,” Manu said.

“We played without any pressure and there were no unforced errors from our side. Basically we played amazing badminton. It was one of the best matches ever,” he added.

It was a gritty performance from the Indian duo as they never gave up in the face of adversity despite falling behind a couple of times during the opening game. Manu and Sumeeth produced a gruelling game of badminton as they fought their way to a slender 11-9 lead.