PBL 2017: Smashers put up a strong display to crush Blasters 5-0

Chennai Smashers put up a dominating display as they demolished Bengaluru Blasters 5-0 in the fourth match of the Vodafone Premier Badminton League at Mumbai on Tuesday evening. Match 1: Sourabh Verma (BEN) vs Parupalli Kashyap (CHE) The first match of the evening witnessed the first men’s singles encounter as Sourabh Verma of Bengaluru took on Chennai’s Parupalli Kashyap. Kashyap started off proceedings on the front foot and got a good grip on the game going into the half leading 6-2. Verma saved three game points after trailing 5-10, but Kashyap kept his composure to take the first game 11-8. In the second game, Verma played better but made same costly errors to hand Kashyap a 6-4 lead at the half. Kashyap did not look back from thereon and dominated the game, comfortably winning the game 11-5, and with that, the match in straight sets to hand Chennai the first point of the night. Result: P Kashyap (CHE) beat Sourabh Verma (BEN) 11-8 11-5   Match 2: Cheung Ngan Yi (BEN) vs PV Sindhu (CHE) The second match of the tie saw the women’s singles match as the Blasters’ Cheung Ngan Yi took on PV Sindhu of the Smashers as Chennai called for a trump match. Yi made an impressive start to the game, winning the first five points by virtue of some witty and powerful shots and went into the break leading 6-3. However, Sindhu slowly grew into the game and even saved a game point to pull herself back at 10-10. She then won the next two points to take the first game 12-10. Sindhu again made a shaky start to the second game, losing the first three points but once again came back strongly to take the lead at the half by virtue of a 6-4 score line and took the game away from Cheung after the break with a comprehensive performance, taking the second game 11-6, and hand Chennai another two points. Result: PV Sindhu (CHE) beat Cheung Ngan Yi (BEN) 12-10 11-6   Match 3: Yoo Yeon Seong/Ashwini Ponnappa (BEN) vs Chris Adcock/Gabrielle Adcock (CHE) The third match witnessed the mixed doubles encounter as Yoo Yeon Seong and Ashwini Ponnappa of Bengaluru went face-to-face against the husband-wife pair of Chris and Gabrielle Adcock. There was not much to choose between the two teams, but the Adcocks made their experience count as they went into the break leading 6-4 in the first game. They then breezed away after the break, taking the second game 11-6. Seong and Ponnappa made a good start to the second game, going into the break with a 6-4 lead. The Adcocks surprisingly made a lot of unforced errors in this game, allowing Seong and Ponnappa to take the second game at 11-8. Seong and Ponnappa made another good start to the deciding game as they grabbed a healthy 6-3 lead over the Adcocks at the break. They continued with their momentum after the break and got themselves four match points at 10-6. However, the Adcocks put all their skill and experience into play and saved all of them, levelling the scores 10-10. They saved another one after that to make the score 11-11. Next it was Seong and Ponnappa’s turn to save a match point and make it 12-12 and then two more to make it 14-14. However, with the tie at stake, the Adcocks got the golden point to win the game 15-14 and with that, the match. It also handed Chennai the tie as they surged to an unassailable 4-0 lead. Result: Chris/Gabrielle Adcock (CHE) beat Seong/Ponnappa (BEN) 11-6 8-11 15-14   Match 4: Viktor Axelsen (BEN) vs Tommy Sugiarto (CHE) Match 4 of the evening was a showdown between world number three Viktor Axelsen of the Blasters and the league’s unbeaten star Tommy Sugiarto of the Smashers. There was little to choose between the two during the opening few exchanges, but Sugiarto had the edge at the break in the first game with a 6-5 lead. However, Axelsen came back strongly and easily took the first game 11-7. In the second game, Sugiarto showed great technique and speed to take a 6-4 lead into the break. Both players went neck and neck after that but ultimately Axelsen proved a tad stronger as he took the game 13-11, after Sugiarto had saved two match points. That proved to be Sugiarto’s first defeat in the short history of the league as Bengaluru got their first point of the night. Result: Viktor Axelsen (BEN) beat Tommy Sugiarto (CHE) 11-7 13-11 Match 5: Ko Sung-Hyun/ Yoo Yeon Seong (BEN) vs Mads Pieler Kolding/Chris Adcock (CHE) The final match of the tie was called a trump by the Blasters as the men’s doubles encounter took place, which was a face-off between the Blasters’ pair of Hyun and Seong and the Smashers’ pair of Mads Kolding and Chris Adcock. Kolding and Adcock had the advantage at the half during the first game, leading 6-4 and easily took the first game at 11-7. It was a better performance from Hyun and Seong at the start of the second game as they took a 6-4 lead into the half. They then swiftly took the second game 11-7, playing some smart badminton. In the deciding game, Hyun and Seong put on a dominant display as they took a healthy 6-2 lead into the break. The duo then got three match points at 10-7 but Kolding and Adcock saved all of them to make it 10-10. Hyun and Seong then saved a match point to make it 11-11 but Adcock was at the end of another Houdini act as he and Kolding sealed the game at 13-11 taking the match and the tie with a commanding 5-0 score line. Result: Kolding/Adcock (CHE) beat Hyun/Seong (BEN) 11-7 7-11 13-11   Match Result: Chennai Smashers beat Bengaluru Blasters 5-0