New Delhi: Marcos Freitas and Kim Song I recorded two wins each to lead Dabang Smashers T.T.C. to a 16-11 victory over DHFL Maharashtra United in the 10th tie of the CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) at the Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.
G Sathiyan put Dabang Smashers T.T.C. ahead with a stunning 2-1 (11-3, 11-9, 7-11) win over Hong Kong world No. 8 Wong Chun Ting in the men’s singles (Foreign v Indian), the day’s opening match.
Sathiyan ran away with the opening game and then rallied back to clinch the second. Wong Chun Ting, however, came back strongly to win the third and bag a point for his team.
North Korea world No 19 Kim Song I extended Dabang Smashers TTC’s lead to 4-2 with a 2-1 (11-2, 11-5, 9-11) victory over Pooja Koparkar in the women’s singles (Foreign v Indian).
In-form Kim Song I dominated the Indian world No 279 in the first two games but the Maharashtra lass rallied to win the third game to hand her side a second point.
Next up was mixed doubles (Foreign/Indian pair), and Dabang Smashers T.T.C.’s Anthony Amalraj/ Tetyana Bilenko registered a 2-1 (11-8, 11-4, 4-11) win over Harmeet Desai/ Liu Jia to further their team’s lead to 6-3.
China-born Ukraine international Kou Lei, ranked No. 28 in the world, pulled off a thrilling 2-1 (11-10, 11-9, 5-11) win over Wong Chun Ting in the men’s singles to give Dabang Smashers T.T.C. a commanding 8-4 lead over DHFL Maharashtra United after four matches.
However, Fu Yu scored a remarkable 3-0 (11-8, 11-10, 11-6) win over Tetyana Bilenko of Dabang Smashers TTC in the women’s singles to bring DHFL Maharashtra United back in contention at 7-8.
But Marcos Freitas quelled a spirited challenge by DHFL Maharashtra United’s Harmeet Desai 2-1 (11-6, 8-11, 11-10) to extend Smashers’ lead to 10-8.
Madhurika Patkar held her nerves when it mattered the most to beat Fu Yu 2-1 (11-9, 7-11, 11-10) in the women’s singles to help Smashers move to a 12-9 lead becoming the first Indian in CEAT UTT to beat an International opponent in singles.
Freitas pulled off a second win of the day as he beat countryman and southpaw Joao Monteiro of DHFL Maharashtra United 2-1 (8-11, 11-10, 11-8) in the men’s singles to hand Dabang Smashers TTC a winning 14-10 lead.
Kim Song I wrapped up the tie for Dabang Smashers TTC with a 2-1 (11-6, 9-11, 11-10) win over Liu Jia in the women’s singles (Foreign player category).
DHFL Maharashtra United 11-16 Dabang Smashers T.T.C.
MS – Wong Chun Ting lost to G Sathiyan 1-2 (3-11, 9-11, 11-7)
WS – Pooja Sahasrabudhe lost to Kim Song I 1-2 (2-11, 5-11, 11-9)
MD – Harmeet Desai/ Liu Jia lost to Anthony Amalraj/ Tetyana Bilenko 1-2 (8-11, 4-11, 11-4)
MS – Wong Chun Ting lost to Kou Lei 1-2 (10-11, 11-9, 5-11)
WS – Fu Yu beat Tetyana Bilenko 3-0 (11-8, 11-10, 11-6)
MS – Harmeet Desai lost to Marcos Freitas 1-2 (6-11, 11-5, 10-11)
WS – Fu Yu lost to Madhurika Patkar 1-2 (9-11, 11-7, 10-11)
MS – Joao Monteiro lost to Marcos Freitas 1-2 (11-8, 10-11, 8-11)
WS – Liu Jia lost to Kim Song I 1-2 (6-11, 11-9, 10-11)
