By Kirti Patil
Pune: Two-time Commonwealth Games team gold medallist Sathiyan Gnanasekaran dropped a virtual bombshell on Wednesday with 3-0 annihilation of the seasoned Achanta Sharath Kamal to steer Dabang Delhi TTC to 9-6 win over the defending champions Chennai Lions as both the teams secured their place in the semifinals of the IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis Season 4.at the Badminton Hall of the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mahalunge-Balewadi here on Wednesday.
The Delhi franchise made their way to the last four with 42 points, whereas the loss notwithstanding Chennai Lionsmade it to the semifinals with 41 points.
The franchise-based league, promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), has been a gamechanger for Indian table tennis since its inception in 2017.
Sathiyan defeated Sharath 3-0 in the first match of the tie to give his team a perfect start. Both the paddlers went toe-to-toe in the first game as they used their experience to win every point. In the end, Sathiyan held his nerve and won the game through a golden point.
The multiple-time Asian Games medallist looked rusty at the start of the second game as Sathiyan quickly took a hefty lead before clinching the game 11-3. He was at his imperious best in the third game as well, clinching it 11-6 with accurate forehand shots on both flanks.
Then, World No. 30 Yangzi Liu defeated Sreeja Akula 2-1 in an exciting women’s singles match to bring Chennai Lions back in the tie.
Yangzi was behind at the start of the game as Sreeja used her immaculate backhands to gather points quickly. However, the Australian paddler changed gear after settling in and won the opening game 11-8 before Sreeja made a comeback to clinch the following game 11-8 and forced the match into the decider. Liu won the last game 11-8 to win the match.
In The third match, mixed doubles, went in the favour of Sathiyan and Barbora Balazova who defeated Sharath and Yangzi 2-1 to extend their franchise’s lead. Sathiyan and Barbora clinched the first two games 11-7, 11-6 with good coordination before losing the third 7-11.
World No. 32 Benedikt Duda kept the defending champions alive in the tie as he beat Jon Persson 2-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-7) with his top-notch attacking skills in the fourth match.
However, Barbora beat Prapti Sen 2-1 (11-6, 4-11, 11-9) and ensured a comfortable victory for Dabang Delhi TTC.
The results:
Chennai Lions lost to Dabang Delhi TTC 6-9 (Sharath Kamal lost to Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 0-3 (10-11, 3-11, 6-11)
Yangzi Liu bt Sreeja Akula 2-1(11-8, 8-11, 11-8) Sharath & Yangzi lost to Sathiyan & Barbora Balazova 1-2 (7-11, 6-11,11-7; Benedikt Duda bt Jon Persson 2-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-7)
Prapti Sen lost to Balazova 1-2 (6-11, 11-4, 9-11).
Standings:
- Dabang Delhi TTC 42 points
- Chennai Lions 41
- Goa Challengers 36 points
- Bengaluru Smashers 35
- Puneri Paltan TT 28
- U Mumba TT 28
