After the highly-awaited Carolina Marin vs PV Sindhu contest on the opening day of the Premier Badminton League (PBL-2), it is now time for another clash of the titans on Day 2. India’s Saina Nehwal will be meeting the Olympic champion, Marin as the Awadhe Warriors begin their campaign against the Day 1 winners Hyderabad Hunters at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.
The two have not crossed swords after their Indonesia Open meeting in June which was won by the Spaniard in straight games. The southpaw has had the upper hand in their rivalry of late, winning three of their past four encounters, but Nehwal did win the big one at the 2015 Dubai World Superseries Finals.
The Australian Open champion Nehwal is coming off a break of three weeks and should be fresher than Marin. Saina, who resumed competitive play in November after her knee surgery, started showing flashes of brilliance pretty early on her return which helped her reach two quarter-finals.
A break should have done her a world of good as she aims to get back to full fitness before embarking on the BWF Tour this season. This particular match will give an idea about how much more time she will need to climb her way back to the top echelons.
The advantage obviously lies with Marin especially after the attacking display she put up in defeating PV Sindhu of the Chennai Smashers in PBL-2’s opening tie. But Nehwal and her determination should never be counted out and this one definitely promises to be one must-watch match.
Srikanth Kidambi returns to action
Monday’s tie will mark a comeback for another of India’s elite player. The India No. 1 men’s singles player Srikanth Kidambi will be playing for the first time since September. He hurt his ankle at the Japan Open Superseries which forced him to call off the rest of his season.
Interestingly, Srikanth will be joining hands with the last player to beat him – Wong Wing ki Vincent – as they both target a winning start for the Awadhe Warriors.
The Hyderabad Hunters also have the Hong Kong runner-up Sameer Verma in their ranks who can prove to be quite a handful given his recent surge of confidence. Rajiv Ouseph was the one who set the platform for the Hunters’ victory last night when they were trailing 1-3 and would like to continue his winning streak today as well.
Incidentally, the men’s doubles World No. 1 duo of V Shem Goh and Wee Kiong Tan are split into these two teams. The two Malaysians even won the Dubai World Superseries Finals last month.
It will be fascinating to watch them square off against each other in this Warriors vs Hunters tie. It goes without saying that a lot will hinge on the outcome and it can prove to be pivotal for the final result.
When and where to watch:
Time: 6.30 pm ISTChannel: Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 3 HDStreaming: Star Sports Hotstar
