Her relatively unimpressive form this year may have raised questions, but Saina Nehwal proved she is still the best bet after registering a thrilling 17-21, 21-19, 11-6 win over world no. 3 Juliane Schenk in the second tie of the Indian Badminton League at the NSCI here on Monday.
Saina’s victory helped Hyderabad Hotshots take a 2-0 over Pune Pistons, after Ajay Jayram scored an upset win over Tien Minh Nguyen in the first men’s singles.
The women’s clash lived up to its top billing with both players fighting it out to assert supremacy. Schenk put Saina under pressure in the first game leading 14-7 but the experienced Hyderabadi turned the tables to narrow the gap 16-17.
The sea-saw battle ended at 21-17 as Saina made a couple of unforced errors
A determined Saina changed gears in the second game and was aggressive from the start taking a 9-6 lead. Schenk’s calm returns brought her back into the game at 15-15 but Saina’s power-packed smashes ensured she wrapped up the game 21-19. A close battle followed in the third one too with both showing signs of tiredness but a calm Saina registered a memorable win (11-6) in the end.
Earlier, the Hotshots made their intentions clear when local boy Jayram beat fifth ranked Nguyen 21-19, 21-8 games to give them an early lead.
The 25-year-old seemed unperturbed by the Vietnamese and after eking out a narrow win in the first game, sealed the deal convincingly in the second.
The Hotshots were rewarded for a change in strategy as Jayram was left out of their previous game to accommodate Taufik Hidayat but the former champion had faced an embarrassing defeat. Egged on by the crowd, Jayram grew in confidence to register his second win in as many outings for his side.
On Sunday, Parupalli Kashyap played his heart out to overcome a spirited K. Srikanth as Banga Beats cruised to a comprehensive 4-1 win over Awadhe Warriors in Lucknow.