Mumbai: When Saina Nehwal was not playing for North Eastern Warriors, the National Sports Club of India was buzzed with excitement when the most popular athlete in the 2018/2019 season of Premier Badminton League (PBL), Viktor Axelsen of Ahmedabad Smash Masters took on Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk of North Eastern Warriors. The match was Smash Masters’ trump match.
Former World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen seemed to feed off the emotions of the night by dictating the pace combined with some deceptions to claim the first set 15-11.
Saensomboonsuk pulled out some slick moves in the second set and was able to lead at 13-12, before Axelsen got three points from the Trump match by beating Saensomboonsuk 15-14 in the second game.
In a men’s doubles match that was held earlier, Ahmedabad Smash Masters’s Reginald Lee/S.Rankireddy were able to see off Liao Min Chun/Yoo Yeon Seong of North Eastern Warriors 10-15, 15-14, 15-14 to win the first point for their team.
Daren Liew’s 11-15, 15-10, 10-15 loss to Tian Houwei allowing the Warriors to earn their first point of the night.
Ahmedabad Smash Masters ultimately scored a 4-1 victory over North Eastern Warriors.
In the first tie of the evening, Mumbai Rockets dominated Delhi Dashers and comfortably won their tie with 5-0 margin.
