PBL 2017 | Chennai defeat Mumbai to book last-four spot
Chennai Smashers rode on wins by Tommy Sugiarto and the husband-wife pair of Chris Adcock and Gabriella Adcock to edge out Mumbai Rockets 4-3 and book a place in the last-four stage of the Premier Badminton League. Rockets and Awadhe Warriors have already secured semi-final spots.
HS Prannoy put Mumbai ahead by defeating Parupalli Kashyap 11-9, 13-11 in men’s singles. The pressure grew on Chennai when, in the next outing, the Mumbai mixed doubles pair of Nadiezda Zieba and Chirag Shetty won the opening game of their trump clash. The experienced Adcocks, however, turned it around for the south Indian franchise by winning the next two games 11-2 and 11-7.
Sugiarto rallied to beat Ajay Jayaram 8-11, 11-2, 11-5. The Indonesian world No 21 was unstoppable after losing the opening game as he raced to a 6-1 lead in the second before sealing it by winning five of the next six points. Sugiarto made short work of Jayaram in the decider to win the match.
The fourth tie was between PV Sindhu and Sung Ji-hyun, which the Indian ace won 11-8, 12-10 to give Chennai an unassailable lead. Sung kept the pressure on Sindhu in both the games, but the Rio Olympic silver medallist was in her elements as she emerged winner.
The Mumbai pair of Lee Yong Dae and Nipitphon Puangpuapech won their trump game against Chris Adcock and Mads Pieler Kolding 11-3, 11-5 for what turned out to be a consolation win.
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