Saina played very well, I had to be at 100 percent, said PV Sindhu after straight-set PBL win

PV Sindhu came up ‘trumps’ against Saina Nehwal in a must-win tie

What’s the story?

The Chennai Smashers, led by PV Sindhu, moved into the final of the Premier Badminton League after defeating the Awadhe Warriors. Wins from Parupalli Kashyap, PV Sindhu and the doubles pairing of Chris Adcock and Mads Pieler Kolding led them to a 4-1 win as the Smashers won both trump matches.

The fourth match of the tie was the most-awaited one as PV Sindhu took on Saina Nehwal in a battle between India’s two Olympic medalists in the sport. There was added pressure for Sindhu as her team picked the fixture as the trump match. However, it was an easy ride for the 21-year-old as she clinched a straight-set win by an 11-7 11-8 scoreline.

“Saina played very well. It was an intense match with many long rallies and I had to be 100% as I knew Saina could always make a comeback at any point in time,” said Sindhu after the match. She was questioned about what she thought of her opponent’s fitness level, given that Nehwal had undergone a knee surgery after the Rio Olympics.

“It has been a long time since our last competitive match but I knew I couldn’t take it easy. Saina was playing well and moving well, and has also been playing well in the league games,” she said.

In such a crucial tie, it was Sindhu who was given the responsibility of the trump match. “A little pressure is always there before such matches. It was a part of our team’s strategy to make this match the trump one. I must thank the team for having faith in me, I feel this was a 100% fit Saina and I had to be at my 100% to defeat her” Sindhu said.

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Nehwal missed the league encounter between these two sides, but she had done well in the remaining matches. The Smashers, meanwhile, were trailing 2-1 in the tie before this match, making it a must-win one for Sindhu and her team.

The heart of the matter

The match was billed as the tie to watch out for and despite the scoreline that may suggest otherwise, it was hard-fought and evenly balanced. The first set was a tight contest with both players avoiding any unnecessary risks. It was all-square at 7-7, but Sindhu upped the ante to take four points in a row and clinch the set.

The second set was also locked at 6-5 but the finalist from Rio looked to have seized the initiative after winning an exhausting 48-shot rally. She extended the lead to 9-5 but the bronze medalist from London 2012 picked up three points on the bounce.

However, it was all over two points later as Sindhu closed out the win with a smash, followed by a deceptive drop to Nehwal’s forehand. In this 27-minute encounter, Sindhu dug deep and out-fought her rival as the fans roared loudly for each point won by either player.

What’s next?

The Chennai Smashers moved into the final of the PBL, where they will face the Mumbai Rockets, who defeated the Hyderabad Hunters as Ji Hyun Sung stunned Carolina Marin with a comeback 6-11 11-6 11-5 win.

Sportskeeda’s take

It was an engaging encounter featuring India’s two best women shuttlers and it certainly lived up to its billing. It was clear to see what the win meant to Sindhu as she exclaimed loudly after winning the match and was animated throughout, but she was quick to praise her opponent after the match as well.

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Edited by Staff Editor