World champion PV Sindhu guided Hyderabad Hunters to their first win of the fifth Premier Badminton League as they comfortably beat Awadhe Warriors at the Babu Banarasi Das Badminton Academy in Lucknow on Sunday.
In a flawless display by the former champions, Sourabh Verma and the mixed doubles pair of Sikki Reddy and Vladimir Ivanov performed brilliantly to fetch wins for the Hunters.
The badminton-loving crowd in Lucknow was treated to a ‘Republic Day’ special masterclass by Hyderabad as Sindhu blew away Awadhe’s Tanvi Lad 15-8, 15-8.
Sindhu, the Rio Olympic silver medallist, looked totally in control right from the start as she sailed away to 8-1.
By luring Sindhu to the net, the Warriors shuttler made an effort to prevent the World No. 6 from raining down her smashes in the second game.
She closed to within three points of her highly accomplished rival at 6-9 but Sindhu soon widened the gap between them to finish the match effortlessly.
“I am feeling really happy. The crowd was really supportive despite me playing against the home team, Awadhe Warriors. I really enjoyed the atmosphere,” said Sindhu after her win.
Earlier, Sourabh rekindled his love affair with Lucknow as he bagged a hard-fought win for Hyderabad Hunters against Awadhe's Subhankar Dey.
Verma, who reached the final of the Syed Modi International at the same venue just two months ago, rebounded after losing the first game to record a gritty 14-15, 15-12, 15-10 win.
"Losing the first game necessitated a change of strategy from my side which helped me come back into the match. Subhankar is a very good player and it's always tough to play against him. This was my first match against him in PBL. I am glad to get the win and I hope we continue this momentum," said Verma after the win.
The mixed doubles match witnessed an upset of Trump as Hyderabad's Reddy and Ivanov pulled off a 15-12, 15-14 win over Awadhe's Shin Baek Cheol and Christinna Pedersen to give an unassailable lead to the Hyderabad team.
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