JOIN USAhmedabad Smash Masters secured a semifinal berth in the Premier Badminton League (PBL) with a crushing 5-0 win over Mumbai Rockets here at the Nehru Indoor Stadium on Tuesday.
Sourabh Verma outclassed his brother Sameer 15-14, 15-11 in the trump match to ensure Smash Masters' progress.
It was a thoroughly dominant performance from the Ahmedabad team, making its debut in the league with World No.1 Tai Tzu Ying underlining her class and H S Prannoy registering an upset 15-12, 15-12 win over World No 5 Son Wan Ho. Tzu Ying dismantled Beiwen Zhang 15-9, 15-12 in quick time to put Smash Masters 3-0.
Prannoy erased an early deficit against Wan Ho in the first game and won a close battle.
Lee Yong Dae and Tan Boon Heong salvaged the sole win for the Rockets with a 15-10, 15-12 defeat of K Nandagopal and Lee Reginald in the final match.
Ahmedabad's mixed doubles pair of Law Cheuk Him and Kamilla Rytter Juhl began the proceedings in earnest by defeating the Mumbai duo of Lee Yong Dae/Gabriela Stoeva 15- 11, 15-7.