Badminton Premier League: Marin loses thriller to Mumbai's Hyun

Mumbai: World no. 3 Sung Ji Hyun pulled off an upset win over world no. 2 and reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin in a women’s singles thriller of the Badminton Premier League at NSCI here on Wednesday. The 11-7, 7-11, 14-12 result in favour of Hyun gave Mumbai Rockets a 2-0 lead over Hyderabad Hunters in their second league tie after Lee Yong Dae and Nipitphon Puangpuapech won the men’s doubles 11-9, 11-5 against Boon Heong Tan and Wee Kiong Tan.

In the men’s singles, Sameer Verma went down 6-11, 7-11 to H.S. Prannoy of Hunters. Sameer led 6-3 in first game but it was all Prannoy power and he brought the Rockets a 2-1 lead. The world no. 19 lost to world no. 16 Rajiv Ouseph of England 7-11, 8-11. The result brought the Hunters back into the contest and it also broke the winning streak of the Rockets. However, in the trump game for Mumbai, Dae and Nadiezda Zieba lost to Hoi Wah Chau and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy 13-11, 10-12, 14-15 in the mixed doubles to drop a point. It was left for Sameer Varma playing in the trump match to see them through against H.S. Prannoy.

Rockets had swept aside the Acers on Tuesday to gain six points. In the opening match, the South Korean and Indonesian pair of Dae and Puangpuapech romped to a 6-2 lead and carried it forward despite Tan’s brief fightback. They dominated the second game, sealing it in emphatic fashion.