New Delhi: Thailand’s T Saensomboonsuk produced a come-from-behind win against India’s Ajay Jayaram in the deciding fifth rubber as Chennai Smashers edged out Mumbai Rockets 4-3 in a thrilling final to clinch the PBL-2 title, here Saturday night. Saensomboonsuk beat Jayaram 9-11, 11-7, 11-3 in a keenly contested match that lasted close to 45 minutes and produced some high quality badminton.
Chennai and Mumbai both won their respective trump matches and with PV Sindhu seeing off Korea’s Sung Ju Hyun, it came down to the two men’s singles match to decide the fate of the tie.
The Smashers started off well with British husband-wife pair of Chris and Gabrielle Adcock beating the Rockets’ combination of Nipitphon Puangpuapech and Nadiezda Zieba 11-9, 11-6. It was the trump match for the Smashers and they went up 2-0. Sindhu then overpowered Hyun 11-8, 11-8 in a dominating display to make it 3-0 for Smashers. This was her second win over the Korean, having beaten her in the league stage.
Mumbai then put the onus on their men’s doubles pair of Yong Dae Lee and Nipitphon Puangpuapech to bring them back into the contest and the duo didn’t disappoint as they notched up a 12-10, 11-6 win over Chris and Mads Pieler Kolding in their trump match to narrow the margin to 2-3.
HS Prannoy then extended his unbeaten streak to seven matches as he eked out a hard-fought 11-4, 8-11, 11-8 win over a fighting Parupalli Kashyap in the first men’s singles to make it 3-3.
However, Saensomboonsuk ensured that Chennai had the last laugh as he staved off a spirited challenge from Jayaram to secure the title for Smashers.
PTI
