P.V. Sindhu and Gurusaidutt’s first positive results in the Vodafone-IBL competition enabled Awadhe Warrriors beat Krrish Delhi Smashers here on Thursday.
Playing his second match after a seven-day gap, Sai Dutt, quelled a strong challenge from Smashers’ Daren Liew, who held a game point after dropping the first.
Both protested mildly against line calls, but Sai Dutt eventually won the all important second men’s singles match for the Warriors to lead 3-1 and pick up its first tie-winning point apart from a point for a match won.
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The Warriors had lost its opening league tie against the Hyderabad Hotshots 2-3 and the second league tie to Banga Beats 1-4.
First, K. Srikkanth outplayed Sai Praneeth and then Sindhu staved off a determined bid by Arundhathi Panthawane to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.
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Thereafter the world No. 4 doubles pair of Kien Keat Koo and Boon Hoeng Tan reversed the trend against Markis Kido and Mathais Boe before Sai Dutt clinched the tie. Warriors will play Mumbai Masters at Hyderabad on August 24 and Pune Pistons at Bangalore on August 26.
The results: Awadhe Warriors bt Krrish Delhi Smashers 4-1 (K. Srikanth bt Sai Praneeth 21-14, 21-9; P.V. Sindhu bt Arundhathi Panthawane 21-16, 21-17; Markis Kido & Mathais Boe lost to Kien Keat Koo & Boon Hoeng Tan 16-21,19-21; Gurusaidutt bt Daren Liew 21-16, 21-20, Markis Kido & Pie Z. Bernadet bt V. Diju & Prajakta Sawant 21-20, 21-19).