The final match of the Lucknow leg of the 2017 Premier Badminton League (PBL-2) will witness a mouthwatering clash between two teams which have remained unbeaten so far in the second season of this pan-Indian league – the Awadhe Warriors and the Mumbai Rockets.
There is little to separate the two teams as both of them have shown good form and all-round performances so far. There is no doubt that all eyes will be on the marquee women’s singles match which has two top 10 players and will be pivotal in deciding the final outcome. While the Indian trailblazer Saina Nehwal leads the hosts, World No. 3 Sung Ji Hyun will be taking charge of the Rockets.
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All eyes on Nehwal vs Sung Ji Hyun
The Korean star of the Mumbai Rockets has a 1-6 losing head-to-head record against the 10th ranked Nehwal and the last time she beat Saina in an international event was in 2013.
However, it needs to be remembered that the Indian is still clawing her way back to the top echelons after losing a chunk of the season last year due to a knee surgery. She expects to be back to her full fitness in another couple of months.
In contrast, Sung is in the form of her life. The World No. 3 came to the PBL-2 on the back of finishing as the runner-up at the Dubai World Superseries Finals in December.
She has been showing glimpses of that confidence even at this league. In Mumbai Rockets’ last match, the 25-year-old held her nerves to stave off a mighty challenge from Carolina Marin of the Hyderabad Hunters in three games.
Even though Nehwal had a great win over the Delhi Acers’ World No. 16 Nitchaon Jindapol yesterday after a slow start, Sung Ji Hyun might just prove to be a barrier too high at this stage.
Srikanth Kidambi can turn the match around
Srikanth Kidambi’s services will once again be indispensable for the Warriors’ cause. The India No. 1 men’s singles player sealed the tie both times he appeared for the Awadhe franchise this season.
Having recovered from an ankle injury, the World No. 15 has been in fine fettle and should be looking to keep his winning streak intact when he takes on his compatriot Ajay Jayaram of the Rockets.
The doubles results will be crucial and if the World No. 10 mixed doubles pair of Bodin Isara and Savitree Amitrapai can conjure up their usual magic once again, the tie will go in favour of the Awadhe Warriors.
