Olympic gold medalist Carolina Marin, representing Hyderabad Hunters, put up a dominant display to defeat PV Sindhu, representing Chennai Smashers, to win the first match of the Pro Badminton League 11-8, 12-14, 11-2 in Hyderabad on Sunday.
In what was a rematch of the final of the Olympic 2016 final in Rio de Janeiro, Marin took control of the game for long spells. Sindhu made a spirited comeback to win the second game but Marin’s returns and booming smashes were at their very best in the third.
It was the Indian who grabbed a foothold in the game early on as she opened up a two-point lead at 4-2. Marin steadily came back into the game through her cross-court drops, leaving Sindhu no chance.
Marin raced to a 9-6 lead and closed down the game, 11-8. The momentum was firmly in favour of Marin at the start of the second game. Despite getting to a 3-0 lead, the Spaniard let her opponent get back in the game with a series of errors, especially at the backline.
Sindhu’s smashes featured prominently during this passage of play, picking up a couple of points to take the lead at 7-6. The final exchanges in the game were nail-biting, with both players taking the game to each other.
Sindhu repeatedly found a way to get back in the game, just when it seemed like Marin would run away with the contest. The World No. 2 took the lead in the tie-breaker but Sindhu closed the game, using her ferocious jump-smash to good effect.
Marin was unstoppable in the final game. The game’s highlight came with the score 3-0 in favour of Marin: The players were involved in a riveting 52-shot rally, which ended in the former World No. 1’s favour. Marin romped to a 11-2 win in the game.