Internet Desk: Olympics champion Spaniard Carolina Marin of Hyderabad Hunters put on a commendable display as she defeated Awadhe Warriors’ Saina Nehwal 15-14, 11-5 in a Premier Badminton League 2017 clash on Monday.
It was a competitive first game, Saina and Marin fought it out in a superb contest as both struggled to build up a lead.
During the first game, Marin once did manage to take a 9-5 lead, but Saina fought back to level things up at 10-10. In the end it was Marin who eventually prevailed 15-14 in the opening game.
In the second game, the game saw an aggressive Marin as she dominated with some effective smashes.
After taking an unassailable 8-0 lead, she closed out the game at 11-5 to win her match and level the score at 1-1 for Hyderabad Hunters after Awadhe’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent had won his match against Hyderabad’s B Sai Praneeth 11-13, 11-6, 13-11.
Yesterday in the Marin versus Sindhu encounter, the first game saw the Spaniard opening the scoring, only for Sindhu to equalise soon after. It was a to and fro action with both the players scoring on regulation. With scores tied 4-4, it was the Spaniard who opened up a three points gap to go up 9-6. Sindhu pulled one back, but Marin quickly stole one more point to go up 10-8.
With game point in her favour, Marin did not try to do anything enterprising and was eventually rewarded for her patience as the Chennai player hit the nets to let her rival walk away with the opening game.
In the second game, it was Marin who started from where she left and took the attack straight to her opponent. She notched up points at will to go 5-2 up and it looked like she will not have to lose much sweat in the second game.
However, Sindhu had other plans and she fought her way back to take five consecutive points to lead the game 7-5. The Spaniard however was in no mood to let go her opponent so easily and she took four points on the trot to go up 9-7.
Sindhu stole one and so did Marin and with the score reading 10-8 in Marin’s favour, it looked like match was all but over. However, Sindhu fought back brilliantly to not only save three match points but to win 14-12 and level the match.
With the high intensity action in the second game, it looked like the deciding game would be even more action packed. But Marin did not even let Sindhu settle and stormed her way to take the 11-2 and win the match and also break Sindhu’s unbeatable run in the league.