PBL 2017: Hunters defeat Acers 5-2 to set up semi-final clash with Rockets

Hyderabad Hunters became the final entrants into the semi-finals of PBL 2017 as they picked up an impressive 5-2 victory over the Delhi Acers on Thursday evening. Match 1: Siril Verma (DEL) vs Sameer Verma (HYD) The opening match of the tie saw the first men’s single take place as Delhi’s Siril Verma faced Sameer Verma of Hyderabad. Sameer started the game by showing more intensity and good composure near the net as well as he hit powerful smashes to notch up a 6-3 lead at the break. However, Siril clawed himself back into the game by playing some intelligent badminton, forcing his opponent into making errors and overturned the deficit to take the game 11-8. Sameer turned the heat on in the second game and put up a dominating performance to take a commanding 6-1 lead into the break. This time there would be no comeback from Siril as Sameer completely dictated play and did not allow his opponent any breathing space as he easily took the game 11-3. Sameer took the momentum with him into the deciding game and displayed strong badminton to once again go into the break leading 6-1. He extended his dominance after the break and continued with his strong smashes and excellent net play, all along showing great court coverage to take the deciding game easily by an 11-2 margin and hand the Hunters the first point of the evening. Result: Sameer Verma (HYD) beat Siril Verma (DEL) 8-11, 11-3, 11-2   Match 2: Jwala Gutta/Vladimir Ivanov (DEL) vs Chau Hoi Wah/Satwik Sai Raj (HYD) It was time for the mixed doubles match as the Acers’ pairing of Jwala Gutta and Vladimir Ivanov took on Hunters’ Chau Hoi Wah and teenage sensation Satwik Sai Raj. It was the visitors’ pair that started better as they ran to a 6-3 lead at the break. After that it was all Satwik and Chau as they pulverized their more experienced opponents to seize the first game 11-3. Satwik continued to impress as he and Chau continued from where they left off in the first game. They stormed to a 6-2 lead at the interval and ended up winning the second game 11-4 to register an emphatic victory. Result: Chau Hoi Wah/Satwik Sai Raj beat Chau Hoi Wah/Satwik Sai Raj 11-3, 11-4   Match 3: Jan O Jorgensen (DEL) vs Rajiv Ouseph (HYD) Match 3 of the evening saw Delhi calling for a Trump as their marquee player Jan O Jorgensen took on Hyderabad’s Rajiv Ouseph. Jorgensen made a strong start and the world number two used his experience on the court to race into a 6-2 lead at the break in the first game. He then easily took the game playing cool and composed badminton to take the game 11-5. Ouseph improved a bit in the second game but Jorgensen was too strong as he effortlessly won points to take a 6-4 lead at the half. There was hardly any room for error from Jorgensen after the break as he wrapped up the game without much problem with an 11-7 score line, and took the match in straight sets to give Delhi the first points of the tie. With that, Delhi levelled the tie at 2-2. Result: Jan O Jorgensen (DEL) beat Rajiv Ouseph (HYD) 11-5, 11-7   Match 4: Nitchaon Jindapol (DEL) vs Carolina Marin (HYD) It was the Hyderabad Hunters’ turn to take Trump as Carolina Marin took on Nitchaon Jindapol. With the Spaniard the obvious favourite, she lived up to the billing to race to a 6-1 lead. Jindapol improved exponentially after the break as Marin was unsettled by the runaround given to her by the Thai. Jindapol had two game points at 10-8 but couldn’t convert them as Marin fought back. It was a tug-of-war now as Jindapol saved a couple of game points of her own as the match reached 14-all. Then, in a dramatic moment, the shuttle was deemed out by the referee and the point awarded to Jindapol. Marin challenged the call and hawk-eye vindicated her decision to do so as the decision was reversed to hand the point and game to the Hunters. It was a closely fought battle in the second as both players look determined not to give away easy points. It was Marin though, who had a slight initiative with a 6-4 lead at the break. The world number two showed her class after the interval winning five points in a row and ended the game with a well-placed smash to clinch the tie and help Hunters seize the final semi-final spot ahead of Bengaluru Blasters. Result: Carolina Marin (HYD) beat Nitchaon Jindapol (DEL) 15-14, 11-4   Match 5: Vladimir Ivanov/Ivan Sozonov (DEL) vs Tan Boon Heong/Tan Wee Kiong (HYD) The final encounter of the tie involved a showdown between Delhi’s Russian pair of Ivanov and Sozonov against Hyderabad’s Malaysian pair of Tan Boon Heong and Tan Wee Kiong. The two teams went toe-to-toe against each other, but it was the two Tans who had the slight edge at the half in the first game, taking a 6-5 lead. They then exhibited calm and composure to win some crucial points and take the game 11-9. The Malaysian duo displayed some good net play going into the second game and once again took a lead of 6-5 into the break. The Russian duo fought really hard and saved four match points after the break but the two Tans showed nerves of steel as they converted the fifth one and take the game 13-11, and with that the match in straight sets. That result also gave Hyderabad the tie by virtue of a 5-2 score line. Result: Tan/Tan (DEL) beat Ivanov/Sozonov (HYD) 11-9, 13-11 Match Result: Hyderabad Hunters beat Delhi Acers 5-2