Premier Badminton League Final : Tommy Sugiarto stars as Delhi pull level

New Delhi: A come-from-behind win by World No.11 Tommy Sugiarto helped Delhi Acers level the tie on points with Mumbai Rockets in the title clash of the Premier Badminton League here on Sunday.

Tommy rallied from a game down to overcome an equally impressive H.S. Prannoy 13-15, 15-9, 15-9 as the hosts restored parity after conceding early.

Earlier, Mumbai Rockets were off to a rousing start when their experienced mixed doubles pair of Kamila Juhl and Vladimir Ivanov crushed the Delhi combination of Akshay Dewalkar and Gabrielle Adcock 15-6, 15-12.

Juhl and Ivanov completely dominated the match, hardly leaving any room for the Delhi duo. However, Dewalkar and Adcock — backed by a vociferous crowd — led 7-4 early in the second game but could not maintain the momentum.

In the first men’s singles game, Tommy and Prannoy were at their attacking best. However, in the end it was better fitness that held Tommy in good stead.

Prannoy, it seemed, had given too much in the first game and that left him drained. He entertained the crowd with his down the line smashes and net flicks in the first game, but soon his energy levels dropped.

Tommy, on the other hand, was consistent and showcased some sharp returns as the Mumbai player struggled with his shots — either hitting wide or in the nets, forcing the game to a decider.