Hyderabad Hotshots, spearheaded by India’s shuttle queen Saina Nehwal, halted high-flying Pune Pistons’ unbeaten run with a comprehensive 4-1 victory in the Indian Badminton League at the NSCI courts late on Monday night. The thumping victory also powered Hotshots to the top of the table with 11 points, leaving Pistons in second spot with nine points.
Saina provided early spark to Hotshots’ campaign by clinching the high-quality women’s singles clash against her long-time German rival Juliane Schenk in a battle between two of the world’s top five players. Egged on by the partisan crowd chanting ‘Saina Saina’, the Indian world no 4 downed world no 3 Schenk 17-21, 21-19, 11-6 in 59 minutes after her teammate Ajay Jayram shocked Vietnamese rival Tien Minh Nguyen, world no 5, 21-19, 21-8 in the opening men’s singles encounter in just 40 minutes.
Later, Malaysian world no 2 pair of V Shem Goh and Wah Lim Khah subdued the challenge of India’s seasoned pair Sanave Thomas and Rupesh Kumar 21-19, 21-16 to give Hotshots an unsailable 3-0 lead in the best of five clash. It was Hotshots’ second victory in three ties, which ensured Pistons’ first defeat in as many encounters. Thailand’s S Tanongsak, a semifinalist at 2013 All-England Open, then made it 4-0 for Hotshots with a straight-game victory over Pistons’ Saurabh Varma. The left hander won 21-19, 21-18.
Pistons got a consolation victory as well as a point from the tie when their mixed doubles combination of Joaquim Fischer Nielsen and Ashwini Ponnappa downed Hotshots’ pair of V Shem Goh and Pradnya Gadre 21-11, 21-14.
The match of the evening was the high-octane one between Saina and Schenk that the Indian won after a grim struggle to take her superior win-loss record against the German to 9-4.
Saina provided early spark to Hotshots’ campaign by clinching the high-quality women’s singles clash against her long-time German rival Juliane Schenk in a battle between two of the world’s top five players. Egged on by the partisan crowd chanting ‘Saina Saina’, the Indian world no 4 downed world no 3 Schenk 17-21, 21-19, 11-6 in 59 minutes after her teammate Ajay Jayram shocked Vietnamese rival Tien Minh Nguyen, world no 5, 21-19, 21-8 in the opening men’s singles encounter in just 40 minutes.
Later, Malaysian world no 2 pair of V Shem Goh and Wah Lim Khah subdued the challenge of India’s seasoned pair Sanave Thomas and Rupesh Kumar 21-19, 21-16 to give Hotshots an unsailable 3-0 lead in the best of five clash. It was Hotshots’ second victory in three ties, which ensured Pistons’ first defeat in as many encounters. Thailand’s S Tanongsak, a semifinalist at 2013 All-England Open, then made it 4-0 for Hotshots with a straight-game victory over Pistons’ Saurabh Varma. The left hander won 21-19, 21-18.
Pistons got a consolation victory as well as a point from the tie when their mixed doubles combination of Joaquim Fischer Nielsen and Ashwini Ponnappa downed Hotshots’ pair of V Shem Goh and Pradnya Gadre 21-11, 21-14.
The match of the evening was the high-octane one between Saina and Schenk that the Indian won after a grim struggle to take her superior win-loss record against the German to 9-4.