Selena Selvakumar, returning to action after not being selected for Friday’s fixture against Dabang Delhi TTC, received a last-minute pep talk from Kolkata ThunderBlades skipper Adriana Diaz.
Leading defending champion Dempo Goa Challengers 9-3, the ThunderBlades had already won the tie before the final singles match between Selena and Singaporean Zeng Jian. However, the baby blue-clad team’s desperation to bag as many games as possible signalled where the stage Season Six of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league has reached.
Selena could not avoid being blanked for the third time in a row despite the loud cheers of a majorly pro-ThunderBlades crowd at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad on Sunday. However, with Dabang Delhi TTC steamrolling PBG Pune Jaguars 11-4 later, the ThunderBlades’ campaign got a second wind.
With one round to go, Diaz and Co. are fifth in the standings and qualification for the semifinals is a realistic possibility.
The ThunderBlades, UTT’s newest franchise, got off to a fantastic start against the Challengers as Quadri Aruna and Diaz registered contrasting victories over the couple Harmeet Desai and Krittwika Roy in the first two matches.
Kolkata ThunderBlades’ Ankur Bhattacharjee and Adriana Diaz in action.
| Photo Credit:
VIJAY SONEJI / THE HINDU
Kolkata ThunderBlades’ Ankur Bhattacharjee and Adriana Diaz in action.
| Photo Credit:
VIJAY SONEJI / THE HINDU
But it was the result of the next match which had the ThunderBlades dreaming of covering ground as Diaz and Ankur Bhattacharjee took down Desai and Zeng for their first-ever mixed doubles win.
Ronit Bhanja, however, had other ideas. With Tiago Apolonia out due to a stomach issue, the Challengers opted to field Bhanja in the second men’s singles.
The 27-year-old matched Ankur shot for shot and split the first two games. While Ankur ran away with the decider to keep his unbeaten streak intact, the ThunderBlades would have preferred a clean sweep.
The Jaguars could barely put up a fight against table-topper Dabang, the only team unbeaten in the tournament.
After the first four matches ended with the identical scoreline of 2-1 in Dabang’s favour, Diya Chitale’s 3-0 win over Lee Zi-on was the cherry on top for G. Sathiyan’s side which has emerged as the clear favourite for this year’s title.
RESULTS
Kolkata ThunderBlades 9-6 Dempo Goa Challengers
Quadri Aruna bt. Harmeet Desai 2-1 (10-11, 11-10, 11-6)
Adriana Diaz bt. Krittwika Roy 3-0 (11-1, 11-4, 11-6)
Ankur Bhattacharjee/Adriana Diaz bt. Harmeet Desai/Zeng Jian 2-1 (11-10, 9-11, 11-7)
Ankur Bhattacharjee bt. Ronit Bhanja 2-1 (10-11, 11-10, 11-1)
Selena Selvakumar lost 0-3 (4-11, 6-11, 4-11) to Zeng Jian
Dabang Delhi TTC 11-4 PBG Pune Jaguars
Izaak Quek bt. Alvaro Robles 2-1 (11-5, 11-4, 4-11)
Maria Xiao bt. Taneesha Kotecha 2-1 (11-5, 11-5, 9-11)
G. Sathiyan/Maria Xiao bt. Alvaro Robles/Reeth Rishya 2-1 (11-10, 11-9, 4-11)
G. Sathiyan bt. Anirban Ghosh 2-1 (11-8, 11-3, 4-11)
Diya Chitale bt. Lee Zi-on 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-8)
