Srikanth's dominance & Saina's trump help Awadhe Warriors enter the SF; beats Bengaluru 4-3

AWADHE WARRIORS bounced back with a win against Bengaluru Blasters 4-3 to seal a place in the semi-finals of the second season of Premier Badminton League.

The tie began with an exciting men's singles match between Sourabh Verma and Vincent. In the first game, the Warriors shuttler was leading 10-5 and a good challenge from the Indian helps him get back and he then won 6 points in a row. He went on to win the game 13-11.

A good start to the second game from Sourabh saw him win it 11-7, a dominant performance from him put his team Bengaluru in the lead, 1-0.

The mixed doubles contest followed next as Bodin Issara/Savitree were up against Ko Sung/Sikki Reddy. The experienced pair from Warriors levelled the score as they defeated the Blasters duo in a hard fought match 11-9, 4-11, 11-7. Thought Sikki/Ko Sung dominated in the second game, they couldn't keep up the momentum in the final as they fell prey to Warriors' smashes.

Kidambi Srikanth doubled the points for his team by defeating Viktor Axelsen with ease 11-9, 11-9. The Dane continues to struggle with his form in the league while Srikanth just betters it each time he steps on court.

This win assured the Warriors a place in the knockout stages. Saina Nehwal was playing her trump and she had an opportunity to seal the tie but Cheung surprised all by winning first game 11-9 after trailing initially. This put pressure on the Indian. But just like expected, the champ made a comeback in the match, winning the second game with ease 11-5.

She looked strong in the final game too, leading at the interval 6-3, she maintained the lead to win the game 11-5. She has been getting better at her game, winning three matches in a row has boosted her confidence.

This sealed the tie, the final match was the trump for Bengaluru between mixed doubles Ko Sung/Yoo Yeon up against Markis Kido/Goh Shem. Winning the first game, Kido/Shem put the Blasters pair under immense pressure but then there was shift in the lead in the following two games.

Sung/Yoo giving their team some crucial points to give their team an outside chance to qualify for the knockouts. The Blasters pair won their trump match 6-11, 11-9, 11-6.

The final score of the tie was 4-3 in favour of Awadhe Warriors.

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