Sindhu earns bragging rights with three-game win over Saina in PBL

P V Sindhu began the new year with a morale boosting win over Saina Nehwal to give defending champions Hyderabad Hunters a 3-1 lead over North Eastern Warriors in the Premier Badminton League here Tuesday.

Sindhu, who had lost her last two matches in the PBL against Sung Ji Hyun and Beiwen Zhang, was keen to start the year with a win and there couldn't have been a bigger opponent across the net than the other shuttle queen of Indian badminton.

Sindhu ended the match with a 11-15 15-9 15-5 win.

Saina, who had sat out the previous three matches of North Eastern Warriors due to a shin injury, was definitely not 100 percent and was seen struggling for stamina following long rallies.

But the way she fought back from a 7-10 deficit to clinch seven straight points and then wrap up the opening game showed that the former world number one was not going to go out without a fight.

However, Sindhu simply managed to raise the tempo in the second game as she raced to a 8-3 lead and though Saina ...