By Kirti Patil
Pune: India’s top-ranked men’s singles paddler Harmeet Desai, representing Goa Challengers, found his match when Jeet Chandra of Bengaluru Smashers downed him with his guile and amazing shots nonetheless his team became first franchise to confirm place in the playoffs after garnering 36 points from five ties.
Jeet Chandra became toast of Tuesday night as he handed a shocking 2-1 defeat to India’s top-ranked men’s singles paddler Harmeet Desai. Riding on Jeet Chandra’s win Bengaluru Smashers beat Goa Challengers 9-6 in IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis Season 4 at the Badminton Hall of the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Mahalunge-Balewadi here on Tuesday.
Bengaluru Smashers, who now have 35 points, will hope for favourable results in the remaining ties of Season 4.
Jeet made a positive start as he startled the Surat-based paddler with his firepower to win the first game 11-7 and carried forward the momentum in the following game as well. The Indian paddler used swift movements and immaculate control to take the second game with the same scoreline.
The third game went in the favour of Harmeet through a golden point.
Then on Manika Batra continued her scintillating form as she defeated Reeth Tenninson, 3-0 to register her fourth women’s singles victory in season 4 for Bengaluru Smashers.
India’s highest-ranked paddler went into attacking mode from the first serve and quickly took a big lead. She then wrapped up the game 11-4 with a precise backhand. Manika used her reach and attacking powers to win the second game 11-5 and carried forward her momentum to clinch 11-7 victory in the third game as well.
Earlier, Bengaluru Smashers’ Kirill Gerassimenko defeated the former World Championships silver medallist Alvaro Robles 2-1 in an exciting contest.
Robles began the first game brilliantly and showed immaculate precision to win it 11-3 before the Kazak paddler made a strong comeback and won the second game 11-8 to force the match into the decider. Kirill was at his very best in the third game as he played ferocious forehands on both flanks to clinch the decider 11-5 and the match.
In the third match (Mixed doubles) of the tie, Robles and Reeth defeated Manika and Kirill 2-1 to keep the Goa franchise alive in Season 4. The pair of Bengaluru Smashers took the first game 11-7 before Robles and Reeth came back to win the next two games 11-8 and 11-9.
In the last match of the tie, Goa Challengers’ Suthasini Sawettabut beat Natalia Bajor 2-1 (7-11, 11-5, 11-7) to secure her franchise’s place in the knockout stage of the league.
The Results:
Goa Challengers lost to Bengaluru Smashers 6-9
Alvaro Robles 1-2 Kirill Gerassimenko bt Alvaro Robles 2-1 (11-3, 8-11, 5-11)
Manika Batra bt Reeth Tennison 3-0 (511-5, 11-5, 11-7)
Alvaro/Reeth bt Kirill/Manika 2-1 (7-11, 11-8, 11-9)
Jeet Chandra bt Harmeet Desai 2-1(7-11, 7-11, 11-10)
Suthasini Sawettabut bt Natalia Bajor2-1 (7-11, 11-5, 11-7)
Standings:
1. Goa Challengers 36 points
2. Bengaluru Smashers 35
3. Chennai Lions 35
4. Dabang Delhi TTC 33
5. Puneri Paltan TT 28
6. U Mumba TT 28
