Pressure on Smashers to deliver

Chennai's fortunes have gone on a nosedive as it is languishing at the bottom of the eight-team league. It suffered a defeat to Delhi Dashers in its previous outing with its star player PV Sindhu suffering a rare and a costly defeat in a three-game thriller to Sung Ji Hyun of Korea. That match was also nominated as the trump match.

What should be of real concern for the Smashers is the injury to its mixed doubles exponent Gabrielle Adcock that saw her pull out of the contest soon after it began.

However, by no means is its campaign over, and with two matches to be played in front of a raucous 'home' gathering, it shouldn't surprise to see Chennai improve on its showing.

Its opponent on Saturday, Ahmedabad Smash Masters is in roaring form with the in-form HS Prannoy, world number 10, looking invincible as he is fresh from notching up his tenth successive win in the PBL dating back to the second season.

With the world number one women's player Tai Tzu-Ying from Taiwan in its ranks, it would be interesting to see how her match with Sindhu will unfold.

Tzu-Ying has looked in fine fettle as she cantered to a straight-game win over Awadhe Warriors' Saina Nehwal. Chennai can't afford any more slip-ups if it is to finish in the top four and qualify for the knockout stages.