Premier Badminton League: Tian Houwei keeps Delhi afloat vs Chennai
After the breather, Tian could not maintain momentum and Tanongsak fought his way back, showing great tenacity to take the lead.
New Delhi: World no. 22 Tian Houwei of China kept Delhi Dashers’ hopes alive in their Premier Badminton League tie against Chennai Smashers, beating Tanongsak Saemso-mboonsuk 15-14, 15-10 in Lucknow on Wednesday.
Mid way through the tie, the teams were tied 1-1. After three matches, Delhi had won two matches while Chennai sealed the other. However, the teams were tied 1-1 on points as Delhi were penalised a point for losing their trump match.
In the first game, Tian began well, breezing to an 8-2 lead.
After the breather, Tian could not maintain momentum and Tanongsak fought his way back, showing great tenacity to take the lead. But his errors helped Tian save three game points to win the opening game.
In the second game, Tanongsak lead 8-5 and should have tied the match. But he lost focus and committed several errors, allowing the Chinese to win the second game 15-10.