Match Report: Awadhe Warriors win their third match in a row while Lee Chong wins his first

AWADHE WARRIORS triumphed over Hyderabad Hunters 4-3 in a thrilling encounter at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday in the Premier Badminton League (PBL).

The Warriors, in a strategic move, rested their star shuttler Saina Nehwal and instead fielded their young stalwart Vrushali.

17-year-old G Vrushali gave her team the first points after beating Supanida of Hyderabad in staright sets 15-7, 15-11. The young Indian shuttler displayed great performance to put her team in the lead.

“ Great win for our team to start the tie. Supanida is a highly qualified player and it gives you a lot of confidence after beating a player of such calibre. A win in the opening match is always a huge boost for the rest of the players. I am happy I won the game and from here I hope we gather more points and win the tie," said Vrushali.

The Warriors men's pair made that 3-0 as Yun/Issara 15-10, 15-12 beat Kido/Mogensen. It was Trump match for the Warriors, fetching them 2 points

That lead went up to 4-0, all thanks to Praneeth's three setter win over his compatriot 6-15, 15-8, 15-5.

This was followed by the second men's singles match which went in favour of the Hunters as Lee Chong Wei won his first match. He won in straight sets 15-8, 15-9 against Tanongsak. This gave the Hunters crucial 2 points as it was the Trump match for Hyderabad.

Warriors had sealed the game in their favour but the remaining match points were crucial for the Hunters. The final match of the night was the mixed doubles contes. Jwala Gutta/Kido won 12-15, 15-14, 15-10 against Issara/Christina of Awadhe. They finally got those important points after trailing behind with a huge margin.