Guwahati, December 24: Hyderabad Hunters got off to a bright start in their Premier Badminton League opener after beating NorthEast Warriors at the Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium here on Sunday.
And the skipper weighs in on an excellent evening so far for the #Hunters
— HyderabadHunters (@Hyd_Hunters) December 24, 2017
They have an unassailable 4-0 lead and they have two more matches to go.#NEWvHYD#HuntersArmy#VodafonePBL #SmashTheHouseDown pic.twitter.com/DcC5OV6RL3
The Hunters won their men's doubles, first men's singles and women's singles. NE Warriors returned to seize the men's singles contest.
The NorthEast Warriors' supported by a large number of vociferous fans took the first two matches to the distance but failed to deliver the knockout blow. Hunters completed the rout in the final mixed doubles match of the day to win the tie 5-2.
Hunters' star player Carolina Marin justified her World No 3 billing by defeating Michelle Li 15-9, 15-11. It was a significant victory as the Hunters had listed it as their Trump match, fetching them two points. After three matches they had garnered four points, while the Warriors had yet to open their account.
The @Hyd_Hunters take an early lead in the tie courtesy to some fascinating gameplay by Yoo Yeon Seong and Markis Kido. 👌#badminton #NEWvHYD pic.twitter.com/tMXi8OksDI
— PBL India (@PBLIndiaLive) December 24, 2017
Earlier, the Hunters men's doubles pair of Markis Kido/Yoo Yeon Seong overcame a resolute Kim Gi Jung/Shin Baek Cheol 15-10, 13-15, 15-13 in a thriller to give them their first point. The South Korean duo put up a gallant display but the experience of Indonesian Kido and Korean Seong stood out in a tense finish.
Great effort by these two! 👏🏻 Shin Baek Cheol and Kim Gi Jung put in a splendid performance in their #VodafonePBL debut.#NEWvHYD pic.twitter.com/22HUrvo3ov
— PBL India (@PBLIndiaLive) December 24, 2017
Lee Hyun Il then caused an upset by defeating Ajay Jayaram 15-13, 11-15, 15-6 in the men's singles. Jayaram, who held a 3-0 advantage against the Korean in their earlier meetings, appeared to justify it by racing to a 6-0 lead in the first game. But Lee Hyun clawed back to turn the tables on him15-13. Although the Indian bounced back in the second and took the contest to the third game, Lee Hyun closed out the match with a dominant display.
Later, Wang Tzu Wei made it 2-4 after beating Sai Praneeth 11-15, 15-6, 15-6 in a trump match.
Results
Hyderabad Hunters vs North East Warriors
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 Ajay Jayaram 15-13,11-15, 15-6
Women's singles: Carolina Marin bt Michelle Li 15-9,15-11
Men's singles: Sai Praneeth lost to Wang Tzu Wei 15-11, 6-15, 6-15
Mixed doubles: Satwicksairaj Rankireddy/Pia Zebadiah Bernadet bt Prajakta Sawant/Shin Baek Cheol 15-8, 15-11
Source: Press release