Delhi Acers enter the Final of the Star Sports Premier Badminton League

Beat Chennai Smashers 4-3 in the first Semi-Finals clash Star Sports Premier Badminton League reaches the knockout stage

Bengaluru, January 14, 2016: As the Star Sports Premier Badminton League reaches the knockout stage, the outcome of each match will carve the fate of the team in the League, with the past matches having no bearing in one’s survival here on. This, the teams who have entered the all important Semi-Final stage are well aware of and each one will enter the court with the same intention, WIN and proceed to the Finale scheduled on 17th January 2016 in New Delhi.

It was the Delhi Acers who met Chennai Smashers in the first semi-final clash of the Star Sports Premier Badminton League in Bengaluru today. What transpired was not only nail biting but left many breathless and in awe of the players from both the teams as each one showed grit, power and determination for a victory in one’s name. The last match of today’s Tie was the deciding factor on which team will play the Finals and it was Tommy Sugiarto who managed to beat Brice Leverdez, giving his team the crucial 2 points and the ticket to Delhi.

The opening match of the first semi-final clash was played by the Men’s Doubles and it was the Delhi Acers Koo Keat Kien and Tan Boon Heong who took the first game against Chennai’s Pranaav Chopra and Chris Adcock. Trailing the game by 0-5, the Chennai Smashers pair bounced back; fought the rest of the game neck and neck and they finally found themselves locked at 14-14 against the Acers. Unfortunately for the Smashers, Pranaav Chopra could not handle the smash from the opponent resulting in Chennai Smashers losing the first match of the Tie. Delhi Acers with the win opened their account 1-0 on the scoreboard.

A win for the Chennai Smashers in the second match was important as they were already trailing the Tie and they did not want to further go on the back-foot as it would just add to their troubles. While Sony Dwi Kuncoro made a slow start to the match against Ajaya Jayaram  and was even trailing the game at the end of first half but, that did not deter his spirit as he fought back giving a tough fight to Jayaram. His long rallies and net play helped him take the game to the Decider point. Knowing that wining that 1 point was vital for his team, Sony Dwi Kuncoro kept his cool as he smashed it hard to take the point and the first game. While Sony’s net play proved to be a big bonus as it helped him win the first game, the same play went on to cost him many points in the second game as he was unable to control the shuttle, finding the nets on many a occasion. This helped Ajay taken an easy win over the second game. The third game proved to be a one-sided affair as Ajay Jayaram completely dominated the proceedings and won the match. This took the Acers 2-0 on the scoreboard and the Smashers in a dilemma in the Tie.

The Mixed Doubles match finally got good news for the Chennai Smashers as Chris Adcock and Pia Zebadiah won the match against Gabrielle Adcock and Koo Keat Kien. While the first game was easily taken by the former it was in second game when the Acers tried to make a comeback to the match. At Decider point the Smashers managed to grab the final point, going on to win the match. The score post the match was still tilted towards the Acers at 2-1.

Playing the Trump match for her team, PV Sindhu played a strong game as she kept a complete hold on the match and won it two games. This helped the Smashers take the score 3-2 in their favour. Though, the team was well aware that if they had to keep the lead and make it to the Finals they had to outwit Delhi Acers in the final match and which was even the Acers Trump.

This was the decider match of the day. A win for Delhi meant they get two points as it was their Trump and they proceed to the Finals but a win for Smashers meant they get a point and a point gets deducted from the Acers account, creating a path for them to towards the Finale. Playing the trump for his team, Tommy Sugiarto was handed the responsibility to beat Brice Leverdez. The latter started proceedings with great speed taking the score to 4-0 showcasing his intentions. Tommy immediately realized that if he doesn’t take control then the first game will soon slip out of his hands. He bounced back and confidently took the first game and chances for the Smashers winning the tie got bleak. The second game yielded the same results as Delhi Acers won the game and with this they proceed to the Finale of the Star Sports Premier Badminton League 2016.

Commenting on the first semi-final clash, Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta, President BAI & Chairman PBL said “What a day it was! Firstly Congratulations to the Delhi Acers, they looked unbeatable. Though Chennai Smashers too played brilliantly but it seemed it was a good day for the Acers. I wish them all the best for the Finals.”

Post winning the first match, Koon Keat Kien and Tan Boon Heong commented, “It was an amazing match. Both the teams fought very hard to take the early lead. We got a good start by winning the first game. Second game was very challenging and we just held our nerves till the last point and which helped us the win the match”.

After a thumping win, Ajay Jayaram stated “It was an unforgettable match for me. I didn't lose hope after losing the first game. My team kept on motivating me and gave me confidence to fight back. I played an aggressive game and tried my level best to reduce errors. It's great win for me and my team. We are in a very strong position and we now have to ensure that we win our Trump match as that is the path to the Finals of the Star Sports Premier Badminton League”.

After the crucial win, Chris Adcock and Pia Zebiadah said “We really needed this win for our team. After two loses, this win is a breather for us. We stepped on the court with some set strategies and implemented them perfectly. We had a good start and continued with same game-plan in the second game. We are happy with this win.”

Speaking on the win, PV Sindhu said “It was a good match and a good win for my team. I just played my natural game and didn't give much room to my opponent. Thulasi is a very talented player and I played against her many times before. She challenged me on few occasions but she committed mistakes, which gave us the important Trump Match in our kitty. Now the outcome of the last match will decide who goes to the Finals.”

An excited Tommy post his match commented “It’s unbelievable we are in the Finals. We started the league slowly but we bounced back and today we are in the Finals. It’s a great feeling. We are confident to win the Finale as the entire team has been in great form and what click is for us is winning the Trump matches”.

The match tally was as follows:

Delhi Acers bt Chennai Smasher: 4-3 (points)

Fastest Smash of the Day (Male) – Brice Leverdez (CS) 413 KMPH
Fastest Smash of the Day (Female) – PV Sindhu (CS)  349 KMPH
Longest Rally of the Day – Tommy Sugiarto (DA) 65 shots against Brice Leverdez
Most Valuable Player – Tommy Sugiarto (DA)

2nd Semi-Final clash

15 Jan 2016: Awadhe Warriors vs Mumbai Rockets (Hyderabad)