Pune off to good start

Showing admirable composure, the former Indian national champion surged to a gritty 15-13, 15-12 win over the much-fancied American. In her first-ever meeting with the former India Open title-winner, the 23-year-old refused to be intimidated as she put in a performance to remember against the Awadhe Trump.

Continuing from where she left off against World No. 10 Michelle Li, against whom she was able to take a game, Rituparna came well-prepared. Making the Awadhe ace run to every corner of the court, her strategy of tiring out the American worked brilliantly as she held her nerves to pull off the win in front of her roaring Pune 7 Aces teammates.

Having suffered its first loss of the season in Pune’s last tie, Commonwealth Games gold medallists Chris and Gabrielle Adcock roared back to form with a strong 15-6, 15-9 win against Awadhe’s Christinna Pedersen and Ivan Sozonov.

Earlier, Pune’s Hendra Setiawan and Chirag Shetty lost for the first time this season in a gruelling three-game encounter against Awadhe’s World No. 24 pair of Ko Sung Hyun and Shin Baek Cheol, losing 6-15, 15-9, 15-12.