NE Warriors finishes as table-topper

It was the final league tie for both teams, which have already qualified for the semi-finals. With both sides being tied on 22 points, North Eastern Warriors finished ahead by virtue of having 13 wins. It is to be noted Chennai has 10 wins under its belt. For Warriors, Lee Cheuk Yiu, Kaushal Dharmamer and mixed doubles pairing of Lee Yong Dae and Kim Ha Na contributed by winning their respective matches. When the two teams were locked 3-3 after first three matches, it was left to Lee Yong Dae to do the needful for North Eastern Warriors along with Kim Ha Na.

The combination did not disappoint as they came back from 4-6 down in the first game to grab a 15-11, 15-9 win against Chennai’s Dhruv Kapila and debutant Sanjana Santosh. Earlier, the in-form Lee Cheuk Yiu won his third match in a row, beating youngster Sankar Muthusamy 15-8, 15-11.

The 16-year-old did impress with his shot-making skills but Lee’s experience and confidence proved too much for the teenager. Lee’s win being a Trump victory put Warriors on course for a success. World No. 127 Kaushal Dharmamer ran away to a commanding 15-3, 15-11 win against K Sathish Kumar to give a good start to the Guwahati-based franchise.

Chennai was able to grab a couple of wins in this enthralling encounter. World No. 30 Kirsty Gilmour was sharp in her face-off with the fast-rising Ashmita Chaliha, who put up a good account of herself in their first-ever meeting. Chaliha remained on par with the Scot before the Chennai Trump was able to raise her game to finish off with a 15-12, 15-11 win.

In the absence of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who was rested ahead of the semi-finals, Dhruv Kapila teamed up with former national champion Sumeeth Reddy, and their partnership worked wonders. Oozing grit and determination, they ground out a 15-13, 15-14 win over the North Eastern pair of Bodin Isara and Krishna Prasad Garaga.