Satwik, Lakshya shine as Chennai Superstarz win PBL opener, Sindhu sizzles

Chennai Superstarz opened their campaign in the fifth season of Premier Badminton League with a dominant 5-2 win over Hyderabad Hunters here on Monday.

The home team was 4-0 up before world champion P V Sindhu hammered the young Gayatri Gopichand 15-5, 15-5 to notch two points for the Hunters.

Singles victories by Tommy Sugiarto and the promising Lakshya Sen, apart from the mixed doubles win by Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Jessica Pugh, ensured the Chennai Superstarz start the season on a rousing note.

Appearing in Chennai's yellow jersey for the first time, the 19-year-old Satwik impressed with his aggressive brand of badminton in partnership with Jessica Pugh against Hyderabad's pair of Sikki Reddy and Vladimir Ivanov, and won 15-6 13-15 15-13.

The World No. 11 was at the top of his game against his previous team as the home pair cruised to a 15-6 lead.

Sikki and Ivanov, both PBL veterans, knew the right moment to lift their games and levelled the encounter at one game apiece in a ...