Teen sensation PV Sindhu and doubles specialist Markis Kido carried Awadhe Warriors into the final of the inaugural Indian Badminton League as their team edged out Mumbai Masters 3-2 in the semifinal late on Thursday night.
Warriors, who take on Hyderabad Hotshots in the final on Saturday, rode on Sindhu’s crucial win in the women’s singles against Tine Baun and then Kido won both his doubles matches, men’s and mixed, to power the Lucknow-based team into the title round.
The Masters, who had lost to Warriors by the same margin in the league phase at this very venue last week, paid dearly for getting their mixed doubles combination wrong. Vladimir Ivanov, after winning a tough second men’s singles against K Srikanth to tie the match 2-2, had just five-minute break before he came back on court for the mixed doubles partnering Baun who seemed to be nursing a hamstring problem, and promptly lost to world no. nine pairing of Kido and his younger sister Pia Bernadeth 21-19, 21-15.
Earlier, World No.1 Lee Chong Wei gave Masters 1-0 lead by easily winning the first men’s singles 21-15, 21-17 against Gurusai Dutt, but Sindhu put Warriors on even terms by outclassing a wayward Baun 21-16, 21-13.In the men’s doubles, Kido, combined brilliantly with Mathias Boe brushed aside Suneeth Reddy and Pranav Chopra 21-15, 21-10 as Warriors moved to a 2-1 lead only to see Srikanth losing 20-21, 19-21 to Ivanov as Masters drew level at 2-2.
Ivanov, who had to work hard for his win over Srikanth, had not much left in the tank for the mixed doubles tie along with Baun as Kido and Bernadeth came through 21-19, 21-15 to help Warriors wrap up the tie.
The opening tie lasted barely 39 minutes with Wei, ranked no.1, in a different league, though Dutt put on a brave front to keep pace with the Malaysian ace in the first game. However, Dutt flattered only to deceive as Wei raced through the second game to wrap up the match with comfort.
Wei gave a grand exhibition of his stroke-play as he seemed to have so much time to play his shots. Dutt, despite a decent defence, could not really counter the Malaysian’s attacks that were cleverly masked.
Warriors, who take on Hyderabad Hotshots in the final on Saturday, rode on Sindhu’s crucial win in the women’s singles against Tine Baun and then Kido won both his doubles matches, men’s and mixed, to power the Lucknow-based team into the title round.
The Masters, who had lost to Warriors by the same margin in the league phase at this very venue last week, paid dearly for getting their mixed doubles combination wrong. Vladimir Ivanov, after winning a tough second men’s singles against K Srikanth to tie the match 2-2, had just five-minute break before he came back on court for the mixed doubles partnering Baun who seemed to be nursing a hamstring problem, and promptly lost to world no. nine pairing of Kido and his younger sister Pia Bernadeth 21-19, 21-15.
Earlier, World No.1 Lee Chong Wei gave Masters 1-0 lead by easily winning the first men’s singles 21-15, 21-17 against Gurusai Dutt, but Sindhu put Warriors on even terms by outclassing a wayward Baun 21-16, 21-13.In the men’s doubles, Kido, combined brilliantly with Mathias Boe brushed aside Suneeth Reddy and Pranav Chopra 21-15, 21-10 as Warriors moved to a 2-1 lead only to see Srikanth losing 20-21, 19-21 to Ivanov as Masters drew level at 2-2.
Ivanov, who had to work hard for his win over Srikanth, had not much left in the tank for the mixed doubles tie along with Baun as Kido and Bernadeth came through 21-19, 21-15 to help Warriors wrap up the tie.
The opening tie lasted barely 39 minutes with Wei, ranked no.1, in a different league, though Dutt put on a brave front to keep pace with the Malaysian ace in the first game. However, Dutt flattered only to deceive as Wei raced through the second game to wrap up the match with comfort.
Wei gave a grand exhibition of his stroke-play as he seemed to have so much time to play his shots. Dutt, despite a decent defence, could not really counter the Malaysian’s attacks that were cleverly masked.