New Delhi: Mumbai Smashers got off the mark with a timely win in the Indian Pickleball League to keep their knockout hopes alive on Friday. A 4–2 victory over Capital Warriors Gurgaon set the tone, before Hyderabad Royals battled back to hold Bengaluru Blasters to a 3–3 draw.
World No.3 Quang Duong set Mumbai off with a ruthless 15–1 demolition of Arik Badami, but Gurgaon hit back with Stavya Bhasin and Jack Munro winning the men’s doubles 15–9.
Allison Harris then steadied Mumbai with a 15–11 win after surviving an Emilia Schmidt fightback, but Schmidt and Naimi Mehta dragged Gurgaon level again with a 15–12 women’s doubles victory. Mumbai then won the Grand Rally 21–18 win to seal their first victory of the season.
Bengaluru Blasters entered their must-win clash against already-qualified Hyderabad Royals with all guns blazing. Phuc Huynh held off a late surge from Divyanshu Kataria to take the men’s singles 15–10, before returning with teenager Arjun Singh to repeat the scoreline in the men’s doubles and push Bengaluru into a commanding 2–0 lead.
Pei Chuan Kao then produced one of Bengaluru’s finest performances of the season, recovering from an early deficit to beat Megan Fudge 15–13 and make it 3–0.
{{/usCountry}}Pei Chuan Kao then produced one of Bengaluru’s finest performances of the season, recovering from an early deficit to beat Megan Fudge 15–13 and make it 3–0.
{{/usCountry}}Hyderabad, however, refused to go quietly. Fudge and Shreya Chakraborty pulled one back with a 15–7 win in the women’s doubles before Hyderabad won the Grand Rally 21–19 and secured a 3–3 draw.
Gameday 5, Tie 3 between Chennai Super Warriors and Lucknow Leopards was underway at press time and will be updated in the subsequent round-up. Following the results midway, Chennai and Hyderabad will compete in the Qualifier for the Grand Finale on Saturday, with the winner progressing onward, while the loser moving to Eliminator 2.