Shaze Challengers scored a thrilling 16-11 victory over table toppers Falcons TTC in the CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) at the Thyagaraj Stadium here on Friday.
Challengers, leading by slender 13-11 margin, had their experienced Han Ying facing Falcon’s Wu Yang, who had not dropped a game in the league, in the final match of the tie. But in the battle of top women defenders, Han clinched the opening game 11-10 to hand Challengers an unassailable 14-11 victory. Han then went on to win 11-10, 11-10, 11-10, with all three games going into golden points.
Earlier World No 42 Li Ping put Challengers ahead in the opening game with dominating 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 over Falcons’ Sanil Shetty in the men’s singles. Ping was in control and never allowed 201-ranked Shetty to play his attacking game.
Yang levelled points for Falcons as she swept aside Mouma Das 11-4, 11-2, 11-7 in the women’s singles.
In the Indian-foreign mixed doubles tie, the Challengers’ pairing of Soumyajit Ghosh and Petrissa Solja of Germany got the better of Shetty and Lee Ho Ching 11-5, 11-7, 11-10 to grab the lead at 6-3. Falcons, however, made it 6-6 in the fourth game when Ping retired hurt in the second game against Par Gerell.
In women singles, Falcons’ Lee won the opening game before Petrissa fought back, with quick feet and stinging backhand flicks and smashes, to clinch the other two 10-11, 11-8, 11-5. Challengers were now ahead by 8-7.
Ghosh then extended Challengers’ lead after winning the opening game against Liam Pitchford in men’s singles but went down in the next two to level the tie at 9-9. Han then took control and clean swept young Priyadarshini Das to place Challengers 12-9 ahead.
Pitchford then again came to rescue of Falcons by taking the first two games against Andrej Gacina but the World No 46 clinched the final game to keep Challengers ahead. The rest was left to Han, and she delivered in style.
