Sindhu takes Chennai past Bengaluru

New Delhi, January 3

Rio Olympics silver medallist PV Sindhu won her trump game after facing some anxious moments as Chennai Smashers drubbed Bengaluru Blasters 5-0 in a Premier Badminton League contest here today.

After P Kashyap gave Chennai a 1-0 lead by outclassing his less experienced but currently higher ranked rival Sourabh Varma, Sindhu secured two points for her team by beating Cheung Ngan Yi, also in straight games.

Then the husband-wife mixed doubles pair of Chris and Gabrielle Adcock from Britain provided the Smashers with an unassailable 4-0 lead by edging out Yeon Seong Yoo and Ashwini Ponnappa in a thrilling match. The victory was Chennai's first of the season as they had lost to Hyderabad Hunters 3-4 in the tournament opener. It was Bengaluru's first loss in two ties, after their 4-3 win over Delhi Acers.

"This was a good game for me. Though I conceded the lead in both the games, I came back strong. I am happy to get my first win of the season. Against Marin too, I won the first game, but she bounced back wonderfully. In this match, I didn't look to change much, but stuck to my aggressive style of play," Sindhu said after her 12-10 11-6 win. — PTI