Hyderabad Hunters made the most of the ‘trump match’ rule to inflict a 3-2 win over Bengaluru Top Guns in their opening encounter of the Premier Badminton League at the Sardar Patel NSCI Stadium here on Sunday.
Despite Bengaluru winning the first game, Hyderabad came back to clinch their trump match to take a 2-1 lead. Later, Parupalli Kashyap defeated Sameer Verma in Bengaluru’s trump match to pile on more misery on the opponents as well as clinch the tie for the Hunters.
A win in a trump match — which is decided by the teams — gives two points for a win, while a loss is counted in the negative.
Bengaluru drew first blood when China’s Suo Di breezed past Hyderabad’s Supanida K. to win 15-8, 15-11.
The women’s singles was followed by the men’s doubles match. And with Hyderabad trailing, they put their ‘trump match’ on the doubles pair of Carsten Mogensen and Markis Kido against Hoon Thien How-Khim Wah Lim.
Hyderabad clinched the tie in a nailbiting thriller to take a 2-1 lead. With a point behind, it was imperative for Verma to keep the Bengaluru franchisee in the hunt in their trump match against Kashyap.
Kashyap wrapped up the game in his favour to hand Hunters a 3-1 lead and the tie as Bengaluru were docked one point for the loss in their trump match.
Bengaluru won their mixed doubles game as Ashwini Ponnapa and Jochaim Fischer thrashed Jwala Gutta and Markis Kido 15-13, 15-13 before K. Srikanth shocked former world no.1 Lee Chong Wei 15-12, 6-15, 15-7 to add one more point to Benagaluru’s tally but it was too late.
Mumbai take lead against Chennai
Later, Mumbai Rockets led their tie against Chennai Smashers after the hosts won their trump match to go 3-1 up.
