Chennai, Aug 25 (PTI) India star Achanta Sharath Kamal led Chennai Lions to a 8-7 win over Dabang Delhi TTC in their Ultimate Table Tennis tie here on Sunday.
Home favourite Sharath, who is the league’s highest-ranked male Indian paddler, showed his class in a 2-1 win over Dabang Delhi’s Andreas Levenko in the tie’s first men’s singles, unleashing a range of powerful smashes on the Austrian who is making his debut in the fifth season of UTT.
Sharath’s win set the tone for Chennai Lions as his teammates followed suit.
Later in the evening, Manav Thakkar’s spirited fightback went in vain as U Mumba TT lost their second tie of the tournament to debutants Jaipur Patriots 6-9.
Manav partnered Maria Xiao to stage a sensational comeback win for the team from Mumbai in the mixed doubles round. Later, he fought back from a game down to beat Snehit SFR 2-1 in the tie’s second men’s singles.
Still, earlier victories for Jaipur Patriots’ international stars Cho Seung-min and Suthasini Sawettabut meant that a miracle come-from-behind win for U Mumbai TT proved just beyond their reach.
Earlier, in the tie’s first women’s singles match, Sakura Mori defeated Orawan Paranang 2-1 to extend Chennai Lions’ lead. Mori proved her prowess in difficult circumstances, staying in control of the match despite repeated fightbacks from her opponent.
While the Japanese paddler took the opening two games, her Thai counterpart varied her approach in the third and claimed a consolation victory, reducing Dabang Delhi’s deficit.
The mixed doubles match between the two teams followed the same trend as Chennai Lions’ pairing of Sharath and Mori beat Dabang Delhi’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Paranang 2-1.
The hosts secured the tie in the very next match, with Jules Rolland defeating local boy Sathiyan two games to one.
In the final match, Dabang Delhi’s Diya Chitale scripted personal history. The Mumbai girl, who used to watch UTT as a fan from the stands, won her first match ever in the league in her second year, defeating Poymantee Baisya 3-0.
Chitale also scooped the Indian Player of the Tie award.
Source: PTI News
