Jwala-Diju lead Smashers to 4-1 win over Banga Beats

The Jwala Gutta-led Delhi Smashers weakened Banga Beats’ hopes of a semi-finals berth after they defeated the hosts 4-1 in the inaugural Indian Badminton League in Bangalore on Sunday.

The contest between the two teams was a one-sided affair as the hosts, who were completely outplayed and hardly gave any impression of bouncing back.

The Beats are now placed at fifth place on the table with nine points from one win and three losses in four ties. They will next play Hyderabad Hotshots on August 27 in Hyderabad.

However, the 4-1 win by Smashers enlivened their hopes of an outside chance of sneaking into the semi-finals, provided the hosts and Awadhe Warriors lose their next encounters very badly.

On Sunday, the only saving grace, for the Bangalore franchise was Parupalli Kashyap, who, in the opening match of the day, helped the Beats thrash B Sai Praneeth 21-15, 21-11 to put his team 1-0 ahead of Smashers in the men's singles tie.

Kashyap and Praneeth won their respective singles as both teams tied at 1-1 in the first two matches of the tie.

However, the Beats’ Carolina Marin, brought disappointment for the fans as she lost the match 17-21, 21-15, 9-11 after coming from behind in the second game, and gave in to the dominating Nichaon Jindapon of Smashers in the deciding game.

In the see-saw match that ensued, Jindapon outplayed her opponent Marin by defeating her 21-17 in the first game.

In the second game of the match, Jindapon and Marin were tied at 10-10 at one stage but soon the Spanish girl stretched her lead  to 19-15  and polished off the game comfortably 21-15.

Taking the tie to the decider, the World No. 19 Marin lost the plot in the third game losing the match 17-21, 21-15, 9-11.

Boon Hoeng Tan and Kien Keat Koo then kept the hopes alive for the Smashers with a 21-11, 11-21, 11-7 victory over Beats' Carsten Mogensen and Akshay Dewalkar in the men's doubles  to give Smashers 2-1 lead in the tie.

H S Pranoy of Smashers capitalised on the lead by tightening the noose against Beats' Aravind Bhat by winning the first game and then the decider before losing one to his opponent in the second.

His 21-18, 7-21, 11-8, victory guided the visitors to clinch the tie 3-1 at the end of the fourth game.

Later, the mixed doubles pair of Gutta and V Diju further pulverized the hopes of Beats as they defeated Beats' pair of Mogensen and Marin 21-16, 15-21 and 11-9 in the fifth and final match, outwitting the hosts 4-1 in the tie.