Ultimate Table Tennis: Bengaluru beats Puneri, climbs to top of table
Ankur Bhattacharjee might be a real shot in the arm for Indian Table Tennis as he sealed his victory with a kiss in a well-contested clash between two young talents from Kolkata in the first men’s singles match.
Manika Batra celebrates a point against Ayhika Mukherjee of Puneri Paltan
CHENNAI: Manika Batra won both her singles and mixed doubles contest to help Bengaluru Smashers win the match 10-5 against Puneri Paltan Table Tennis, here on Monday
Ankur Bhattacharjee might be a real shot in the arm for Indian Table Tennis as he sealed his victory with a kiss in a well-contested clash between two young talents from Kolkata in the first men’s singles match. 17-year-old, Ankur bested 24-year-old Jeet Chandra in the men’s singles match with scores of 11-6, 5-11, 11-7.
Ankur’s exuberance was evident as he celebrated each point with a punch in the air, showing just how much he wanted thUltimate Table Tennis
Bengaluru beats Puneri, climbs to top of tablee win. Jeet regained momentum in the second game but Ankur remained unflappable. A few good backhands helped him in the third match and helped him cross the line.
The most anticipated matchup of the evening didn't disappoint as Manika Batra handed Ayhika Mukherjee her first game loss of this season. Ayhika took an early lead by winning the first match, but Manika quickly adjusted, capitalising on her serves to gain the upper hand. In the third match, Ayhika fell behind 4-0 but fought back to level the score at 4-4. However, Manika's powerful backhand punches secured the crucial points she needed to win the match, with scores of 11-8, 5-11, 6-11.
The mixed doubles match was a close contest, with points going back and forth. Bengaluru’s Alvaro Robles and Manika Batra proved too strong for Anirban Ghosh and Natalia Bajor. The third match came down to the wire, with both teams tied at 10-10. The golden point was won by Bengaluru.
Alvaro Robles came back once again, proving too strong for Portuguese Joao Monteiro as he won the game 2-1. In the final contest of the evening, Tamil Nadu’s Yashini Sivashankar faced a daunting task: she needed to win all three matches to help Puneri cross the line. However, standing in her way was World No 27 Lily Zhang of the United States. Yashini gave her all, pushing two matches to the wire with scores of 9-11, 9-11, but it wasn't enough, as Bengaluru won the match and went to the top of the standings.
Brief Scores
PBG Bengaluru Smashers bt Puneri Paltan Table Tennis 10-5:
Jeet Chandra lost to Ankur Bhattacharjee 1-2 (6-11, 11-5, 7-11); Manika Batra bt Ayhika Mukherjee 2-1 (8-11, 11-5, 11-6); Robles/Manika bt Anirban/Bajor 2-1 (11-6, 8-11, 11-10); Alvaro Robles bt Joao Monteiro 2-1 (11-5, 10-11, 11-8); Lily Zhang bt Yashini Sivashankar 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-5)
