RP-SG Mavericks edge out Dabang Smashers T.T.C in a close tie

Chennai, 20 July, 2017: RP-SG Mavericks edged out Dabang Smashers T.T.C 14-13 in a close tie on day 8 of the inaugural CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Thursday. The action shifts to New Delhi from Friday.

Dabang Smashers T.T.C’s G Sathiyan warmed the hearts of the home crowd as the local star pulled off a stunning 2-1 (11-5, 11-9, 10-11) win over RP-SG Mavericks’ Austrian world No 23 Stefan Fegrel in the men’s singles (Foreign v Indian), the day’s opening match.

Sathiyan, ranked 110, cruised to an easy win in the opening game, and rallied brilliantly to win a tense second game. The Indian then recovered brilliantly from 3-7 in the last game before the experienced Fegerl won on the final point.

Ukrainian world No. 56 Tetyana Bilenko made it 4-2 for Dabang Smashers T.T.C after she rallied from a game down for a 2-1 win (10-11, 11-7, 11-8) over Archana Kamath of RP-SG Mavericks in the women’s singles (Foreign v Indian).

Archana, 17 years old and ranked 217, won the opening game on the final point. However, Bilenko came back strongly to bag the next two.

A Sharath Kamal / Sofia Polcanova (Austria) put RP-SG Mavericks in the lead 5-4 with a 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-5) win over G Sathiyan / Kim Song I of Smashers in the mixed doubles (Foreign/Indian pair).

However, China-born Ukraine world No. 28 Kou Lei of Dabang Smashers T.T.C edged out Portuguese world No. 31 Tiago Apolonia (RP-SG Mavericks) 2-1 (11-3, 10-11, 11-10) in the men’s singles (Foreign player category) to level the scores at 6-all with five more matches remain in the ongoing tie.

North Korean world No 19 Kim Song I defeated Sabine Winter of RP-SG Mavericks 2-1 (11-8, 11-8, 9-11) in the women’s singles (Foreign player category) to hand Smashers the lead at 8-7.

World No. 43 Sharath Kamal levelled it at 9-9 for RP-SG Mavericks with a 2-1 (11-8, 11-9, 5-11) win over Portuguese world No 14 Marcos Freitas (Dabang Smashers TTC) in the men’s singles (Indian v Foreign) as the Indian’s home fans supported loudly.

Sabine Winter thumped Madhurika Patkar of Dabang Smashers TTC a 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-6) in the women’s singles (Foreign v Indian) to hand RP-SG Mavericks a 12-9 lead but Marcos Freitas helped Dabang Smashers TTC rally back to 11-13 with a 2-1 (11-5, 11-5, 10-11) win over Stefan Fegrel in the men’s singles (Foreign player category).

It boiled down to the last match of the day, the women’s singles (Foreign player category) between RP-SG Mavericks’ Austrian world No 44 Sofia Polcanova and Dabang Smashers TTC’s Tetyana Bilenko.

Polcanova won the opening game 11-8 to help RP-SG Mavericks edge ahead to 14 points before Tetyana Bilenko rallied to win the next two games to help Dabang Smashers T.T,C finish with 13 points.

Falcons TTC will meet Shazé Challengers on Friday as the action shifts to Thyagraj Stadium in New Delhi until July 25 for the second leg.

RP-SG Mavericks 14-13 Dabang Smashers T.T.C

MS – Stefan Fegerl lost to G Sathiyan 1-2 (5-11, 9-11, 11-10)

WS – Archana Girish Kamath lost to Tetyana Bilenko 1-2 (11-10, 7-11, 8-11)

MD – Sharath Kamal/ Sofia Polcanova beat G Sathiyan/ Kim Song I 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-5)

MS – Tiago Apolonia lost to Kou Lei 1-2 (3-11, 11-10, 10-11)

WS – Sabine Winter lost to Kim Song I 1-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-9)

MS – Sharath Kamal beat Marcos Freitas 2-1 (11-8, 11-9, 5-11)

WS – Sabine Winter beat Madhurika Patkar 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-6)

MS – Stefan Fegerl lost to Marcos Freitas 1-2 (5-11, 5-11, 11-10)

WS – Sofia Polcanova lost Tetyana Bilenko 1-2 (11-8, 7-11, 10-11)