Hyderabad: Ace Indian shuttler N. Sikki Reddy spoke exclusively to ETV Bharat after her team Hyderabad Hunters' 2-1 victory against North-Eastern Warriors in the opening match of the Hyderabad leg of the ongoing Premier Badminton League on Wednesday.
Sikki said that although the Hunters didn't win convincingly, still the result matters to them a lot in respect to the competition. She further said that she is extremely delighted with the result while also urging fans to come in plenty to motivate them in their upcoming games.
Earlier, Daren Liew turned out to be the unlikely hero as the hosts outplayed their North-Eastern opponents to win the match 2-1. Liew had never beaten 2020 Indonesia Masters semi-finalist Lee Cheuk Yiu in four meetings earlier, but this time he proved otherwise. The 15-9, 15-10 result was Yiu's first defeat of the season.
In a shocker for the home side, P.V. Sindhu lost to Michelle Li who outsmarted the famed Indian with a 15-8, 15-9 win.
In Hyderabad's trump match, World No. 28 Sourabh Verma lost to World No. 38 Tanongsak Saensomboomsuk representing the visitors with a hard-fought 15-14, 15-14 scoreline.
In the fourth match which was also the trump match for the Warriors, Ben Lane and Vladimir Ivanov of the Hunters defeated Bodin Isara and Lee Yong Dae 15-7, 15-10 to tie the score at 1-1.
The contest had started with the Hunters mixed doubles pair of Ivanov and N. Sikki Reddy winning against the pair of G. Krishna Prasad and Kim Ha Na with a 15-12, 8-15, 15-12 win.
Watch the Exclusive video here.
