by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
After Marcos Freitas had beaten Sanil Shetty (11-5, 11-2, 11-3) and Pär Gerell (11-7, 11-6, 11-8) to raise the hopes of Dabang Smashers, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran followed suit; likewise he accounted for Pär Gerell (11-7, 6-11, 11-6).
Two wins Marcos Freitas; for the Falcons it was two wins from Wu Yang and Lee Ho Ching but not enough to secure victory.
Wu Yang beat Mousumi Paul (11-9, 11-4, 11-7) and Kim Song I (11-7, 11-6, 11-10); Lee Ho Ching partnered Sanil Shetty to doubles success against Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Tetyana Bilenko (11-8, 11-6, 11-6), before once again she faced Tetyana Bilenko. The two met in the fifth match of the contest with Lee Ho Ching proving ever more adept against the defensive art (8-11, 11-9, 11-5).
Likewise, on home soil on Monday 17th July, Soumyajit Ghosh was in form. Representing Shazé Challengers, in the opening match of the fixture against Oilmax Stag Yoddhas, he overcame Quadri Aruna (11-2, 9-11, 11-8) but it was not to spark victory for his team. A 15-12 defeat was to be the order of the day in a contest where, for victors, Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar replaced the injured Panagiotis Gionis.
Alas for Tomislav Pucar, it was not to be an ideal debut, on his one and only visit to the table he was beaten by Li Ping (9-11, 11-6, 11-9). Backbone of the Oilmax Stag Yoddhas success was Doo Hoi Kem. She partnered Abhishek Yadav to doubles success against Soumyajit Ghosh and Petrissa Solja (11-10, 11-9, 11-6), before in concluding match of the fixture, overcoming Petrissa Solja (11-9, 11-7, 11-9).
Fine performances from Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Soumyajit Ghosh; it was the same on Tuesday 18th July from Harmeet Desai on duty for Maharashtra United against PR-SG Mavericks.
In the first match of the fixture, he accounted for Stefan Fegerl (11-6, 9-11, 11-6) before partnering Liu Jia to doubles success against Sharath Kamal Achanta and Sofia Polcanova (10-11, 11-7, 11-10). A successful day for Harmeet Desai, it was the same for Liu Jia; later she returned to the fray to beat Sabine Winter (11-9, 11-8, 11-10).
Play continues on Chennai on Wednesday 19th July when the third round of fixtures begins.
Ultimate Table Tennis: Complete Results – First Series
Ultimate Table Tennis: Complete Results – Second Series
Ultimate Table Tennis: Latest Updates as on Tuesday 18th July
Format of Play
A fixture in Ultimate Table Tennis comprises nine matches, each match is three games; all three games are played. Each game is played to 11 points but should the score reach 10-10, the winner of the next point is declared the victor.
Each game won counts one point. Thus in each fixture there are 27 points at stake.
Overall eight players comprise a team, two men and two women from foreign associations; two men and two women from India. A fixture comprises four Men’s Singles matches, four Women’s Singles and one Mixed Doubles contest.
In each of the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles matches, two contests involve foreign players confronting each other; two involve a foreign player facing an Indian opponent. No player may compete in two matches in any one fixture.
Following the conclusion of the fixtures on Thursday 27th July in Mumbai, the top four teams will enter the play-off stage, also held in Mumbai, to determine the name of the champions.
The semi-finals will be played on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th July with the final on Sunday 30th July.
Ultimate Table Tennis: The Teams (as on Saturday 15th July)
Ultimate Table Tennis: The Fixtures (Commence on Thursday 13th July)
Ultimate Table Tennis: Competition Format (as on Saturday 8th July)