Smashers pip United in semis
In a battle of equals, Dabang Smashers got the better of a fighting Maharashtra United to enter the final of the Ultimate Table Tennis at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on Friday night.
Japan’s Sakura Mori and young Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico scored the crucial victories to guide the Smashers to a 11- 10 victory.
Mori triggered the Smashers’ fightback by winning the mixed doubles with captain Gnanasekaran Sathiyan against Anthony Amalraj and Lily Zhang 2- 1( 7- 11, 11- 5, 11- 8). She went on win the singles upstaging Zhang 2- 1 ( 7- 11, 11- 8, 11- 6).
But it was the 17- year- old Adriana who kept her nerve to seal the Smashers’ final spot with a 3- 0 ( 11- 5, 11- 6, 11- 9) win over Madhurika Patkar. The Puerto Rican was down 1- 7 in the third game but she made a sensational fightback to win it 11- 9.
World no. 52 Cedric Nuytinck also played a part in the Smashers’ success by upsetting world no. 40 Joao Monteiro 2- 1 ( 711, 11- 5, 11- 8).
Earlier, a charged up Anthony Amalraj had put United ahead, stunning world no. 27 Yoshida Masaki 2- 1 in the second clash of the tie. Romania’s Elizabeta Samara and Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson made the most of that upset, winning their respective singles to keep United in the hunt.
The 32- year- old Amalraj dominated his opponent, ranked 108 places above him, to win 2- 1 ( 114, 11- 8, 7- 11) while world no. 18 Samara battled a troubled ankle to subdue Manika Batra 2- 1 ( 11- 8, 9- 11, 11- 10).
Karlsson’s 3- 0 ( 11- 8, 11- 5, 11- 8) drubbing of Smashers’ captain Gnanasekaran Sathiyan meant United were just one point away from a place in the final ( 10- 8) but teenager Adriana dashed their hopes.