PBL | Mumbai Rockets thrash defending champions Delhi Acers in their opening clash

PBL | Mumbai Rockets thrash defending champions Delhi Acers in their opening clash

no photo

|

Ā© Mumbai Rockets

Mumbai Rockets got off to a flying start in the second edition of the Premier Badminton League with a crushing 6-(-1) win over defending champions Delhi Acers on Tuesday (Jan 3). Ajay Jayaram defeated Delhiā€™s Trump Jan Jorgensen, before HS Prannoy extended the lead for the home side.

Jayaram raced to a 7-3 lead in the opening game against world No 2 Jorgensen, who was selected as Trump by Delhi. The Dane, however, upped his tempo to regain the lead 10-9. It was a close battle until 14-all before Jayaram won the deciding point of the first game.

Jayaram jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second game before Jorgensen came out firing with a couple of smash winners. Jayaram was in his elements, though, as he sealed the game at 11-4 to give Mumbai the lead.

Prannoy beat Son Wan Ho 11-9, 11-9 in the second match. Son opened up a 6-4 lead in the first game but Prannoy won six of the next seven points before an unforced error by the Korean gave Prannoy the game.

Prannoy raced to a 4-2 lead in the second before Son pulled things back at 5-4. At 9-9, the Indian star won back to back points to clinch the match.

In mixed doubles, Mumbaiā€™s Nadiezda Zieba teamed up with Lee Yong Dae to take on Delhiā€™s pair of Ivan Sozonov and Maneesha K. The Mumbai duo won the first game comfortably at 11-5, but Sozonov and Maneesha took the next 11-8. In the decider, Zieba and Lee raced to a 7-4 lead before Delhi levelled at 9-9. Zieba and Lee clinched the last two points to win the match and give Mumbai an unassailable lead in the contest.

In womenā€™s singles, Sung Ji Hyun defeated Tanvi Lad 11-6, 11-8, before Lee and Nipithphon Phuangphuapet teamed up in menā€™s doubles to defeat the Russian pair of Ivan Sozonov and Vladimir Ivanov 11-9, 11-9 as Delhi ended the night with negative points.

Result:

Ajay Jayaram 15-14, 11-4 Jan Ƙ. JĆørgensen

HS Prannoy 11-9, 11-9 Son Wan Ho

Nadiezda Zieba/ Lee Yong Dae 11-5, 8-11, 11-9 Ivan Sozonov/ Maneesha K

Sung Ji Hyun 11-6, 11-8 Tanvi Lad

Lee Yong Dae/ Nipithphon Phuangphuapet 11-9, 11-9 Ivan Sozonov/ Vladimir Ivanov

In the other clash of the night, Bengaluru Blasters took on Chennai Smashers, and PV Sindhu led his team to a convincing 5-0 win. ParupalliĀ Kashyap defeated Sourabh Verma 11-8, 11-5. PV Sindhu won her trump match against Cheung Ngan Yi 12-10, 11-6 to extend Chennai's lead before Chris and Gabrielle Adcock won their mixed doubles encounter against Yoo Yeon Seong and Ashwini Ponnappa 11-6, 8-11, 15-14. Viktor Axelsen opened the account for Mumbai with a 11-7, 13-11 win over Tommy Sugiarto, but that counted for nothing as Seong and Ko-Sung-Hyun lost their trump match against ChrisĀ Adock and Mads Pieler Kolding 7-11, 11-7, 11-13. Chennai Smashers won the match 5-0 to go to the top of the points table.

Get updates! Follow us on

Open all