Guwahati: Hyderabad Hunters got off to a flying start in the Premier Badminton League defeating debutants North East Warriors 5-2 at the Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium here on Sunday.
The hunters began with a comprehensive men’s doubles and men’s singles win before Rio Olympics gold medalist Carolina Marin justified her 3rd rank by defeating Michelle Li 15-9, 15-11 in straight sets handing the away team all four points available from the respective three matches. The hunters had also placed the world no. 3’s encounter as a trump match, which helped them earn one additional point apart from the regular single point from a win.
Playing at home the debutants however could not make much use of the clamorous support it received, winning just one match that was fortunately a trump fixture giving them two points.
Record signing B. Sai Praneeth was the sole shuttler from Hyderabad to lose his match as the other shuttlers ensured a clean sweep over the PBL newbies.
Praneeth lost 11-15, 15-6, 15-6 to Wang Tzu Wei in the second round of men’s singles fixtures.
Earlier, the Hunters men’s doubles pair of Markis Kido and Yoo Yeon Seong overcame Kim Gi Jung/Shin Baek Cheol of the North East Warriors 15-10, 13-15, 15-13 in a thriller to open the point account for the visitors.
The Korean duo did put up a resolute defence before going down to the Indonesian/ Korean combination.
Lee Hyun Il then continued the momentum defeating the much fancied Ajay Jayaram 15-13, 11-15, 15-6 in the men’s singles encounter that followed next.
The Indian who had a 3-0 head-to-head advantage over his Korean counterpart seemed well destined for another win taking a 6-0 lead in the first set quite comfortably.
But Hyun bounced back in time to eventually win the first set 15-13. Jayaram replied by clinching the second set before going down without a fight in the decider game.
Hunters then sweeped aside the mixed doubles with another comfortable win against Cheol and Sawant, 15-8, 15-11.
Total Results –
Men’s doubles: Markis Kido / Yoo Yeon Seong bt Kim Gi Jung/ Shin Baek Cheol 15-10, 13-15, 15-13
Men’s singles: Lee Hyun Il bt AjayJayaram 15-13,11-15, 15-6
Women’s singles: Carolina Marin bt Michelle Li 15-9,15-11
Men’s singles: Wang Tzu Wei bt Sai Praneeth of the Hunters, 11-15, 15-6, 15-6
Mixed doubles: Rankireddy & Zebadiah bt S.B. Cheol / P. Sawant 15-8, 15-11